Spiritfall have become somewhat of a staple of the current unsigned melodic metal scene, having already played countless shows in support of their last offering on a touring cycle which included an ambitious cross country trek with Tennessee hopefuls Shun. Spending some time with producer Michael Rosen (dredg) this time out, the bands sound has evolved from its once inherently tender emo inflected hard rock to a more urban and modern sounding incarnation, giving their ascending heartfelt melodies a bit more bite and aggression than they've had in the past.

Flush with emotion and a poise the vocals showcase the delicate yet determined singing of band frontman Anthony Stone who once again leads the band forward with his tender yet tough approach that includes a wealth of heart on his sleeve harmonizing and edgy verses that slowly blossom into large, soaring choruses. The guitar playing is a bit agitated and seems to be a bit more distorted and jacked up on this offering, showing an increasingly aggressive side of the band while also dedicating a lot of focus towards synchronizing itself with the singing. This combined assault does well to give the songs a strong sense of urgency along with an abundance of cohesion, a direction that is ultimately fortified by a slightly detuned hungry bass performance courtesy of bassist Ben Souza, whose almost concrete like slabs of low end rumble give much weight and presence to the material overall. The drumming featured here is more varied and colorful than the band have dabbled with in the past as some of it sounds almost electronic, but thankfully the experimentation doesn't sacrifice anything in the way of momentum as the moody beats effortlessly keep the pace and lock down the driving grooves.

As a whole this demo showcases and ultimately corrects a lot of the flaws that were apparent on Spiritfall's previous outing. Rather than sounding a bit wishy-washy they now sound more brawny and ready to play, adding a sense of conviction and determination to the material that was seemingly lacking before. The songs are also more focused and tightly written, making for a progressive flow that leaves little in the way of gaps for their listener to stumble over. Sure it must be said that their beefed up in your face approach will perhaps put them more in league with acts like Papa Roach and Trapt rather than say The Juliana Theory or Simon Says, but in their favor the nature of the transition they've undergone feels more to do with keeping the songs compact and regimented rather than looking solely for commercial success and the almighty dollar. A crossroads for the bands career no doubt, but they've come to it gracefully and it looks like stardom isn't too far ahead if they keep up with the ambition and evolution they have come to be known for already this early in their career.