Counterparts - You’re Not You Anymore
Rating: 9.5/10 Stream the album in full on Youtube. I’d say that it’s about time Counterparts received some attention outside of the scene of stale “melodic hardcore” wave of bands that took considerable influence from Shai Hulud and Misery Signals during the early half of the decade. They were never too different from these bands, mixing cleanly picked melodies with a good dose of metalcore riffage and breakdowns to produce a sound that could be considered very homogenous at first listen; however, the band’s stellar songwriting in comparison to their peers, as well as vocalist Brendan Murphy’s poignant and well-written lyrics made them stand out from the rest of the pack. There was a sense of worry when primary songwriter and original guitarist Jesse Doreen decided to leave the band following the release of 2015’s Tragedy Will Find Us. Many were concerned that such a major lineup change would cause the band’s material to dip in quality. Thankfully, these fears were proven completely wrong. I’ll start off by saying that You’re Not You Anymore adds nothing new to the table. Much of the record takes that patented Misery Signals influence and adds a nice helping of Parkway Drive’s Killing with a Smile to the mix: melodic riffs; heavy, panic chord-laden breakdowns; and Murphy’s usual melodramatic lyricism are all present here, but the way the band is able to cram an average 6-10 riffs into a two-and-a-half minute long song without ever sounding disjointed or unfocused cannot be denied. This is best exemplified on tracks such as “No Servant of Mine” and “Rope,” with new addition Blake Hardman and mainstay Adrian Lee moving from chord progression to lead to breakdown (especially on “Rope”; the breakdown is downright irresponsible) as seamlessly as new drummer Kyle Brownlee moves from drum fill to china cymbal. The band has never sounded tighter. Technical prowess notwithstanding, the record manages to be Counterparts’ most accessible and chorus-driven work yet. “A Memory Misread,” “Haunt Me,” and “Bouquet” all feature cleanly sung refrains that feature Murphy sounding more in-tune with Sam Carter of Architects fame over other clean vocalists in the genre. The band doesn’t overdo these passages though, only choosing to use them when the song calls for it. Murphy’s lyrics are as on point as ever, using carefully directed imagery and diction to craft an album that, while focusing on a general theme of change, is still easy to digest and relate to for pretty much anybody out there. The last minute or so of the title-track is especially impassioned, with Murphy tearing his emotions out as he yells “aim your sharpest arrow at the center of my chest / a memorial to signify the sense of helplessness / we dare not mourn our past lives, our loss will be reborn / I couldn't love who you were / but you're not you anymore.” While it’s probably nothing too extraordinary in comparison to much of the verse on the previous record, the post-rock-like guitar in the background as well as the pounding drums make for an extremely vulnerable section, a trope the record exhibits in abundance. Counterparts had a lot of expectations heading into the process of creating You’re Not You Anymore: the band had lost their primary songwriter of almost ten years, had finished an extremely successful North American headliner followed by a tour with Parkway Drive, and were coming off an album cycle for a record that some consider to be a modern metalcore classic. If you were to put ten bands under that sort of pressure, eight out of ten would likely crumble. Thankfully for Counterparts, they take those odds and completely smash them, releasing their best work yet. - Cesar G.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Metal LifestyleOwner Operator: Dakota Gochee Coming Soon:
|