It would appear that the missing persons reports filed for All Else Failed when they disappeared a few years back weren't written out in vain. After some years of what was widely thought to have been their end, the band have returned from their self-imposed absence with a new line-up, and a new label in the form Abacus Recordings. Their latest hardcore-tempered affair, "This Never Happened", eagerly picks up where 2001's "Archetype" left off, wasting no time in proceeding to clobber the listener into submission once again.

For the uninitiated, the most relevant and enticing factor about this album will no doubt be the fact that it features guest drumming from Chris Pennie of The Dillinger Escape Plan. Even with such a behemoth behind the kit though, All Else Failed proudly retain their identity and chops; especially through the initial few tracks on this effort as the band become the architects of a blistering array of loose and forthright metalcore. But while such a term may instantly bring about pre-conceived notions, All Else Failed have never really been a formulaic band. "This Never Happened" isn't about to see them start either as the hybrid of hardcore intensity and metallic determination they unleash upon the listener is both impetuous and lucid. In fact, the outright authenticity of the bands emotion is what keeps this outing going, especially through its fiercer moments, as it is aural equivalent to setting one's heart on fire.

But while the heavier moments on this album viciously deliver, they are unfortunately paired up with a lot of capriciously clean singing. While emotional and unfiltered in delivery, these melodic leanings are inherently lacking in tonality and pale in comparison to the bands more murderous excursions. In turn, what the listener is presented with is an often-discordant album of opposites. On one hand, it is unflinchingly heavy and honest. On the other, it can also quite fragile, brashly wearing its heart on its sleeve. Still, even with the band continually exposing the frailty of that which they themselves have built-up, at least it's not the same old wretched emo/metalcore hybrid that has polluted the scene in recent years. From top to bottom this effort is rife with heart and an unwavering sense of human sincerity - qualities which easily put it a cut above many of their peers.