It’s understandable that full-blooded metalheads treat anything that’s come from ‘the scene’ with caution. As good as they may be, Issues will make the average Lamb Of God fan want to choke themselves to death with their own beard. Miss May I and, more importantly, Rise Of The Lion should have no such problem.
For starters, Terry Date’s production job on the gut-slugging riffs that swing like an elephant’s ballbag owe way more to his work with Pantera and Overkill than it does his recent endeavours with Bring Me The Horizon.
The unrelenting pace and double-kick drum fury, moments like the screeching guitar hero solo in You Want Me and their ability to rely on ingenuity and ferocity more than just standard, knuckleheaded breakdowns sees the band fully graduating from the world of Warped Tour to something far more metal.
That’s all before mentioning Levi Benton’s new necro and black metal-inspired heavy vocal. It’s a fresh sound for this band and anyone from the scene, and it’s impossible to believe it won’t be replicated by other bands.
The best album of Miss May I’s career and a phenomenal metal record in its own right.
