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Rating:
Iron fist in a baseball glove.
Paraphrasing the famous adage, this could summarize the proposal of these A Day to Remember, new sensation from Victory who stand as flagships of a genre they themselves have defined as mosh-pop, whose intent is to combine seemingly antithetical sounds such as those that have always characterized metalcore and college punk.
As expected, the main limitation of the band is that they draw from the most overused components of the two aforementioned genres, but it must be admitted that in certain cases, the mixture of the same manages to compensate excellently for the chronic lack of originality: this is the case, for example, of the initial "Fast Forward to 2012" (practically Comeback Kid with mosh breaks) or the first hit single "Speak of the Devil" (which shows us how Fall Out Boy would sound if one day they woke up believing they were Hatebreed), not to mention the concluding "Start the Shooting", which with its airy choruses even dares to evoke Oasis!
In the continuation of the album, there is no shortage of references to the emo-scream of labelmates Silverstein and Hawthorne Heights ("Monument") up to the inevitable acoustic interlude ("The Price We Pay"), but in general, all the remaining tracks are characterized by the use of the already mentioned compositional formula that involves the alternation between arpeggios/emo choruses and breakdowns/growling vocals, all garnished with hc-style choirs, with results now exhilarating ("A Shot In The Dark", "Here's To The Past") now excessively academic ("The Plot To Bomb The Panhandle", "I Heard It's The Softest Thing Ever").
Conclusions? If I had to bet on the future of metalcore, I would wager more on Enter Shikari than on the present ADTR, but, looking at the present, this does not detract from the fact that this "For Those Who Have Heart" definitely deserves its three stars, by virtue of a sound as derivative as it is damn effective, especially if you are among those who appreciate all the aforementioned bands.
Tracklist Lyrics Samples and Videos
10 Here's to the Past (03:59)
Let's all think back on what brought us here
This is my grasp on what is real
don't tell me how I feel
With all that's passed I can't relate with myself from day to day
Why does everything seem so far away to me?
There's no turning back from here
I've got to get away from everyone who's left
I'll tell the saddest story of how we made it through this last year
They said we'd walk away
you'll never make it if you can't speak for yourself
They said we'd fade away
We've all been down this path before
You're trapped in this town
and it wears you down
When we leave today then maybe you'll understand this constant struggle isn't always in the palm of my hand
I'll tell the saddest story of how we made it through this last year
They said we'd walk away
you'll never make it if you can't speak for yourself
They said we'd fade away
This man will stand the test of time
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By RobyMichieletto
We do our best to forget these five guys from Florida as quickly as possible.
The only result they achieve is going nowhere and contributing to inflating the music market with yet another useless and expensive product.
