It also has both levels of maturity and raw potential in all of its songs. The effort is wonderfully produced and engineered, and sounds fantastic. In conclusion, Awaken I Am have crafted a great debut album with Shields & Crowns. What distinguishes them, however, is the fact that they are all listenable, and devoid of filler. It must be noted that many of these songs do sound similar. “The Channeling” and “Landslide” offer well-needed downtime, while “Capture” is a powerful anthem that uses group vocals wonderfully. “Safe Heaven” and “Vices” offer the best of Douglas' singing. “The Depths” has some interesting melodies and hooks. “The Onlooker” and “Divisions” are solid, traditional post-hardcore tracks. The album is sufficiently varied as well. Nevertheless, do expect to find some interesting ideas and enjoyable tracks throughout. Do not come to Shields & Crowns expecting a revitalization of the genre's formula, because this release is heavy on breakdowns, fast paced rhythms, and hardcore influences. The songwriting structure is far from revolutionary, and certainly fits within established post-hardcore tropes. But, there is certainly some genre fatigue throughout the record. They are also very infectious and groovy. The songwriting on Shields & Crowns is somewhat debatable. The Alan Watts sample at the end of “The Depths” is awesome, too. I was very glad to see him on this album, at any rate. Thomas' screams have improved drastically since In League's last album, Sleep And You Might Miss This, and he adds an additional dimension to the song. The nicest surprise is Ricky Thomas of In League's spot on “Shields”. Slaves vocalist Jonny Craig dishes out a long guest performance on “The Depths”. Shields & Crowns has some great guest features as well. Many will enjoy them or dislike them, depending on preference.
And while his ceiling is impressive, Douglas' vocals sometimes feel trapped within their head-voice dominated limits. His extended use of falsetto-sounding may become jarring for some. Douglas' high tenor vocal range, much in the vein of Kellin Quinn and Vic Fuentes, is remarkable and catchy, but it has its flaws.
The album's singing is undeniably enjoyable, for the most part. Vocalist Adam Roger Douglas' vocals are an interesting component of Shields & Crowns. Overall, the rhythm and lead guitars are certainly the sweetest treats on this record. The same goes for the album's bass tracks, which are nice, but are nothing more than serviceable. They are not anything truly remarkable, but are able to get the job done. Elsewhere, the drums are beautifully tracked. The deep melodies are stimulating, and they make each song on Shields & Crowns memorable. This album is familiar, but Awaken I Am differentiate themselves enough from their genre-mates to prevent tediousness.Īs with most post-hardcore albums these days, Awaken I Am's instrumentals are all great. Nevertheless, the band is able to craft their own style.
Tinges of Dream On, Dreamer, In League and even The Amity Affliction are present in their music. In terms of sound, Awaken I Am can be very closely compared to many of their Aussie counterparts. The album is not without its flaws, but it is lots of fun and impressively professional. The band's debut record, Shields & Crowns, shows that this type of softer post-hardcore works within its confines. Instead of featuring both screamed and clean vocals, the band only has a clean vocalist, much in the vein of Emarosa or Hands Like Houses. Review Summary: Awaken I Am have crafted an admirable debut record.Īwaken I Am are an Australian post-hardcore group that subscribe to a relatively recent trend inside the genre.
0 kommentar(er)
