Boy Sets Fire spew out their ideals on this CD that has a starkly serious tone from start to finish. Straying a bit from the emocore sound of past releases, the new album features a stripped down punk/hardcore direction that comes complete with agitation, and sharp lyrical content, lashing out against numerous moral and political topics. Gritty and raw, the group has essentially trimmed away the fat and taken a direct approach, targeting whatever they feel fit, stern vocals spit out verbal venom with hardcore styling's and a handful of slightly emo reminiscent moments. Aggressive to the point of being militant, band frontman Nathan explodes with authentic rage and adamant tones, while his softer side streams out with a restrained punk, almost emo rockish sensibility. Guitars are straight forward and focus on steady distorted tones and jagged crisp riffs that stick to chord patterns that have come to be expected of a punk/hardcore background. Although not suffocatingly downtuned or viciously distorted, they still possess enough growl and experimentation to keep things entertaining. Bass is clean and a bit lower in nature than the guitars, winding riffs and a bit of embellishment in the bridges and breakdowns show up now and then along with some percussive notes and a slick, rubbery style. Some drawn out notes are implemented, yet a very focused style is what is laid for the most part, shifting the role of the lowend to more of a backup for the guitars and a cushion between them and the percussion which hammers out immaculate beats that are locked down with authority and a no frills approach. Lots of snare hits and highhat work is what makes of the bulk of the percussive side of the music this time around, but there are some stand out moments when the other components of the kit are put through the paces. This CD is somewhat of a splintered direction for the band as the material is a bit coarser than their previous works, yet still retains close ties with what fans have come to expect from the group. There's an acute focus on the material's structure and although not overly dynamic, it still packs quite a punch and as such comes recommended for fans of music in the vein of traditional hardcore with slight emo tendencies, but those looking for something that breaks new ground or brings something new to the masses, might want to look elsewhere. Boy Sets Fire have refined their approach and ignite this CD like a match with the leaner straight to the point feel and although at times it can be repetitive, it's still an enjoyable listen now and then that shows off a pure untouched strain of heavy music clashing with hardcore,emo and punk.
(3.5 / 5)