Align line up a blend of poignant emocore meets post NY hardcore, that slices out energetic grooves littered with melody along with a generous helping of emotion and unfiltered talent. Comparable to the likes of Glassjaw and Thursday colliding head on with Quicksand and 6gig, the bands sound is raw, yet accessible and their stamina and ambition truly shine as each song thumps out a heart wrenching blend of unhinged emocore that is barely restrained by the shackles of its modern metal overtones.

Band frontman Jeremy Jessen emphatically belts out his verses and choruses with a reckless demeanor, sounding extremely passionate as he instantaneously bursts into confrontational screams that without warning, drop off into smooth melodies, bringing to mind a less eclectic Page Hamilton. Guitar riffs also exert energy with their crisp distortion and expansive, yet focused chord progressions which utilize a shade of effects to help establish depth. Complete with a very resolved focus, the six stringed sounds jump out in vibrant color, though their main goal seems to be keeping the songs on target, which in the end makes for a very progressive audio journey. Bass wise, the songs are a bit less enthusiastic, but this is by no part a fault of bassist John, who for the most part loosely follows the guitars lead. By using his rugged riffs to scrape out a roomy lowend, the more eccentric guitar parts are provided with a sturdy foundation to layer themselves upon, resulting in strong song cognition overall. The drumming included on this effort exhibits many nods to the NY post-hardcore sound, perhaps being the most reminiscent of bands like Helmet. The percussive style played is jagged and at times brutish, marching forward with deep kick drum thuds and an abundance of highhat/cymbal variation that certainly helps give the music a brisk edge that demands attention.

Perhaps Align's most interesting quality though, is that they are somehow able to perfectly meld the melody and mentality of the post hardcore sound with a definitive modern crunch, making it easily accessible to fans of emo, post hardcore and even new metal, rather than having it only appeal to a certain niche. There's also a consistent sense of urgency in place within each song, almost as though the band is actually struggling to hammer their message into the listeners ears, an aspect which makes it very hard to resist their aggressive charm. Above all, its great to see that bands like Align can relatively come out of nowhere and blindside the listener like a cinder block to the temple. The honesty and character of their music is as unexpected as the enjoyment the sounds captured here creates. Sure, "Some Breaking News" may not catch the eye of the public as a whole, but those who do take the time to read it will definitely be enlightened by one of the most passionate and underrated albums put out in 2001.