Produced by Joey Sturgis, the sound of this fourth studio album is immaculate and well suited to the hard rock tones Buried In Verona adopted in their previous release. Listeners who prefer the band’s heavier side might have a hard time with it, but anyone who enjoys their aggression masked with cleaner choruses should be pleased by the number of memorable songs.
Revival gains them more street cred with gruffer yells, gang shouts and swifter fretwork. It has a strong chorus and powers through in a way that means you can’t help but be seduced by the breakdowns. The softer tones of Eclipse and Graves are more formulaic.
The strength of this band is really in the songwriting. Splintered and Illuminate are catchy and persuasively euphoric, but Set Me On Fire wouldn’t be out of place on a 30 Seconds To Mars album. When they’re capable of tracks like the hardcore-infused but emotional Catatonic, their foray into such soft territory can be frustrating.
