Admittedly, I wasn't a huge fan of The Powerless Rise when it came out. The album just didn't have the same catchiness that An Ocean Between Us did. And while it was heavier, it just didn't hit on the right notes for me.
Awakened on the other hand is great! Cauterize punches you right in the face, kicking off the album right. A Greater Foundation has all the catchiness that The Powerless Rise was missing, while retaining all the heaviness and speed. And that's the marriage on Awakened. It's the great melodies and catchy hooks and riffs that made As I Lay Dying a big deal, but combines that with an aggression that the band tried so hard to capture on The Powerless Rise.
Josh Gilbert's vocals sound stronger and they compliment Tim Labesis' growl nicely. Nick Hipa's solo's are fantastic and everything about Awakened works and makes for an excellent metal record. And as much as I loved the record on the first spin through, it keeps getting better and better with each listen.
Awakened is a strong album of the year contender and without a doubt one of the best metal records you'll hear in 2012.
No comments:
Post a Comment