Colossus - Time & Eternal

I'm never sure what to expect when Facedown signs a new band. 95% of the time I'm on board and love the bands Facedown signs. But there's always a band or two that just doesn't do it for me (See my Fallstar review). So I always approach new bands cautiously. Even if I've heard a song I like (you always put your best foot forward, right?).

Time & Eternal is both hot and cold for me. There are moments that I absolutely love the record. But there are songs that make me go "meh". In fact, some songs are hot and cold.

I love the way Time, the album's opener, starts. A pick guitar and scattered tom hits under the vocals. Very Hands esque. But when the track fully kicks in, it loses it's appeal to me. It's not bad, but the track started different than most heavy records you hear these days. So for the song to just veer into something a little more standard is a little disappointing. But my disappointment doesn't last long but the song finishes strong. A couple times I've had to look at iTunes to make sure I was still listening to the same track.

Superficial Savior and Counterfeit Kingdoms are both deathcore... ish songs. Breakdowns and gated guitars. Neither is a bad track, but neither of them stand out in any way. Dirge is a throwaway instrumental track. Bereavement is an interesting track. The initial open isn't anything to write home about but the songs opens up slowly. First taking on a melodic hardcore feel before busting wide opening into a straight forward hardcore song. It's an unexpected and welcome turn of events. The hook hits and its the first time I'd call anything beautiful on Time & Eternal. And then we get some lead guitar. A short lead but I love guitar solos. It's a great song. The opening riff to Transgressor is quirky, almost something you'd expect from Korn... But better. The songs goes from mediocre deathcore to a great melodic hardcore hook. It's a two-sided song. It has these great, interesting elements that make the song compelling. The good outweighs the bad and makes it a killer track.

Pentecostal is another instrumental, but it's a beautiful ambient piece that gives way to a great opening riff on Beacons. Beacons is my favorite track on the record. Just a solid hardcore song. The last three songs on the album (Beacon included) is where Colossus really shines.

Time & Eternal is a reminder why the album is important. A 30 second preview of each track on iTunes or just listening to one or two tracks, or just the youtube clips, and I would've been turned off by Colossus and wouldn't have given Time & Eternal a second thought. But the album has a lot of great quirks and melodies that get lost in some of the early tracks on the record. And the last couple of songs on the record are absolutely beautiful.

Time and Eternal is worth listening to. It's worth the "effort".