ALL THAT REMAINS 'The Fall of Ideals' (Prosthetic Records) RATING: 8/10 Buy now

By GREG MAKI

I’ve never understood the metal community’s need to carve itself up into so many virtually indistinguishable subgenres. Why can’t we just evaluate each band on its own merits? The bands lumped into the “metalcore” category are among those victimized the most. Presumably, the term refers to melding of metal and hardcore. But somewhere along the line, it became something else and I’m not quite sure what that is. It’s a meaningless label, as far as I’m concerned. Take The Fall of Ideals, the latest release from All That Remains. I fail to see how it is anything but a metal album and a good one at that.

From the scream and rapid-fire drumming that usher in the opener, “This Calling,” it’s clear that this Massachusetts-based band has stepped up its game considerably. The song showcases everything All That Remains does so well throughout the entire disc. Frontman Philip Labonte employs a guttural scream/growl on the verses before unleashing a powerful clean singing technique on the chorus, while drummer Shannon Lucas and bassist Jeanne Sagan form a tight rhythm section. But the stars of this recording are guitarists Mike Martin and Oli Hebert. Their intertwining riffs and solos ensure All That Remains is much more than a fad band riding the so-called new wave of American heavy metal.

With 11 songs packed into just 39 minutes, The Fall of Ideals is a tight blast of brutality mixed with moments of pure beauty. There’s no fat here. Every second of every song demands the listener’s attention.