Comparing any average metal album to All That Remains' The
Fall of Ideals is like trying to turn water into wine.
Needless to say, the band had a huge task ahead of them with
their follow-up, Overcome. How does the album stack
up to it's predecessor and will it stand the test of time?
Phil Labonte is an amazing, versatile metal vocalist. His
singing and throat-wrenching growls, along with a relatively
unknown talent in guitarist Oli Hebert, are the core of All
That Remains. Hebert's solos and playing are some of the most
epic, memorable and melodic in metal. It's time people notice.
The pair's signature talents are everywhere on Overcome.
Maybe I was just guessing or even hoping, but I thought that
with this album, All That Remains would take another giant
leap to becoming one of the most popular metal bands. They
take a few steps and, though it is a solid recording, it's
far from a leap. Immediately “Chiron” and “Two
Weeks” standout among the album's 11 tracks. “Chiron”
is on another level with its black-metal-style playing and
Phil's most powerful and varied vocal performance of the album.
It's on par with The Fall of Ideals standouts “The
Weak Willed” and “Six.” “Two Weeks”
takes a somewhat different direction. It's still a metal song
at heart, but the lyrics and chorus make for the most pop-influenced
ATR material yet.
Between these songs, you can mix and match as you see fit,
as most of the songs follow the same structure. The blueprint
for Overcome seems like it was “Not Falling.”
Not a bad starting point, but fans looking for a little more
may be mildly disappointed. “Undone” is a perfect
example of this. A fast, heavy beginning gives way to a clean
vocal chorus--then rinse, lather and repeat. “Forever
in Your Hands” reminds me of Trivium or Bullet for My
Valentine. It's another strong track--heavy, but clearly aimed
at a larger audience. Labonte and Hebert save these songs
from mediocrity. “A Song for the Hopeless” is
another standout. It begins with melodic acoustic guitars
and soft singing from Labonte, then morphs into an illegitimate
son of Pantera's “Hollow.” This is different for
ATR and it works. The other experimental track is a cover
of Nevermore's “Believe in Nothing.” I've never
heard the original mournful power ballad, but after the classic
guitar melody and hook, I'm anxious to hear it. And Labonte
sings here like no one's heard him before. I don't see how
anyone could complain.
Maybe ATR played things a little safe, but don't be fooled. Overcome is fast, heavy and in several places has
potential to be a masterpiece. Making a follow-up to a successful
record must be a hard, stressful thing to do. But ATR has
"Overcome" and made another solid metal record with
a few songs that are sure to be live staples and fan favorites
for many years. After several listens this one gets an 8 out
of 10. Take away “Chiron” and “Two Weeks,”
and we are down to about a 6.5. Maybe that's a little rough,
but when you're as good as ATR, huge expectations come with
it. |
