Featuring former members of Endo and bLoc among others, School For Heroes have risen through the ranks in the Floridian independent scene in little over two years. Reminiscent of Handsome and Onesidezero, yet retaining a feral edge, the band promote a gloomy sound propelled by frontman Adrian Martinez's vocal melancholy, and with their Tribunal debut, the aptly titled "Listen", these young men seem poised to spread their wings far beyond their local trappings.

School For Heroes have evolved rapidly since their introduction to the scene, and this time around it is readily evident that they have struggled to remove any influential resemblance that in the past cloaked their songs in a familiarity all too common. In it's place the band have welcomed a song structure built around cathartic emotional release, be it in the form of introspective melodies or gritty metallic explosions. Adrian's domineering voice cuts through the emotive hurricane of musical anguish with a powerful range, making an immediate impact on the listener with weighty vocal wails and feral screams of anger, proving himself as one of the most overlooked vocalists in the independent community. His captivating passion is fully evident on "Ornament", and by implementing subtlety infectious hooks, the band make this one of the album's strongest cuts. Swift's Gary Forsyth lends his vocal abilities to the aggressive "Telephone", yet his assistance seems rather unwarranted, offering little to make this song stand out in comparison to other selections. The group also revisit their past with the inclusion of "Japanese Honor", arguably one of the band's best songs, and with it's driving guitars and rabid vocal attack this is a welcome highlight to stumble upon as the album spirals to a close.

For all of their positive aspects, School For Heroes have an unusual ability to make even the most charismatic song come off rather dull. While they have certainly grown as musicians and display a much clearer understanding of how to write a song, the emotional shadows cast across the album seem to drag the band down. The material within has a fiercely personal tone, so much so that "Listen" practically pushes listeners away. Adrian's intimate vocal presence feels so guarded and distant that to even listen to his soul-bearing seems intrusive. While it's inspiring for a vocalist to convey such despair on record, his emotional baggage is unfortunately placed on the listener's back as well, leaving even the most strong-minded fan feeling rather depressed. As such, "Listen" is an ambitious musical statement that feeds upon insecurities, but is hindered by it's oppressive sense of self, making it hard to imagine any hero being built from this cloth.