While Misery Signals have definitely suffered more than their fair share of heartbreak over the years, it has yet to stop them from dusting themselves off and getting back up on the breakdown. Their latest effort, "Mirrors", sees the band surviving yet another calamity with vocalist Jesse Zaraska exiting the fold and being replaced by newcomer Karl Schubach - a man whose throat dominates much of the albums running time.

Like their past work, the bloodlines still run back to 7 Angels 7 Plagues - a group which Misery Signals rose from the ashes of. But the progressive metalcore on display here is far more intricate and involved. Snarling riffs practically become chain linked to the drumming while elements of atmosphere and texturing are unleashed - often only to be mercilessly stomped upon. Basically, Misery Signals are a band who like to test the perimeters of what is expected in 2006 and in turn, through a somewhat serpentine approach, the group escape much of the standard confines and pigeonholing.

In fact, in a lot of ways "Mirrors" can bring to mind a band like Poison The Well as a constant balance of melody and malignance perilously hangs in the balance. When it comes to the performance of Schubach though, his range is sadly somewhat limited with unbridled rage being his strongpoint. That said, his intensity feels instinctive and thus his monstrous barks convey much power. The problem is that while the band's routinely off-timed sonic excursions are steeped in brutality, when they do reach periods of delicate harmonizing, rarely are they taken advantage of.

This shortcoming falls upon the band themselves though as their music is often conflicted in which direction to head. There are times, like the sonically rich opening on "An Offering To The Insatiable Sons Of God (Butcher)", where they do kick loose and let things develop. But for the most part the bands music shows traces of genius that aren't able to be fully realized before the hammer is dropped on them. This almost internal sense of oppression does entertain for awhile, but can become a bit stilted by the the time the last note is hit.

In the end, Misery Signals prove that even metalcore can be massive, well in scope at least, and that alone makes "Mirrors" worthy of a listen. It's just a shame that nearly everything comes smothered with mammoth riffs and beefy screams, because underneath it all, this band seem to have a lot more to offer.