In the recent flurry of signing activity from staunch metal luminaries Metal Blade, one of the lesser known names to find their way into the fold was Lynchburg, VA's own Winter Solstice. Though forming in 2000, the metalcore ensemble has kept a low profile, with only a few demos and one actual album ("The Pulse Is Overrated" on Harvest Earth Records) to their name. Now comes the time for the group to unveil their finely honed obelisk of melodic death meets hardcore proportions to the masses, as "The Fall Of Rome" looks to be a metal album that encourages philosophical discussion as well as the mosh.

The core concept behind this album is rather inspired, using the collapse of the ancient Roman Empire as a historical metaphor to compare modern society's decline, and it is a shame that such inspiration was lost when the time came to record the actual album. While "The Fall Of Rome" is rarely lacking musically it is practically faceless when held against a litany of peers who continue to churn out nearly identical records. The prerequisite guitar melodies and devil may care breakdown teases are intact, giving off an In Flames by way of Caliban sound that awards intensity over unpredictability. Beyond the unremarkable familiarity of the release lies Matt Tarpey's painfully strained vocal chords, as he repeatedly attempts to push himself to a limit his own body seems reluctant to achieve. Despite such weaknesses, Winter Solstice still know how to entertain and if there's one thing "The Fall Of Rome" doesn't lack, it's a sense of ever-growing momentum that carries the disc. The methodical destruction of "Calibrate The Virus" and the dramatic flourishes of "L'aeroport" are gleaming embers that enable one to continue listening with mild interest long after the realization that nothing new will be found within fades.

Though there is an underlying message behind the album akin to "those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it", Winter Solstice haven't quite let that euphemism sink in deep enough, as the music they have offered forth is unfortunately just another take on the overdone Swedish style that has consumed the metalcore ranks in the past few years. The inclusion of As I Lay Dying vocalist Tim Lambesis on "To The Nines" makes sense from a stylistic standpoint but is completely unnecessary, as he brings nothing to the table to enhance the track and the end result comes off as little more than a marketing gesture. All of the assembled parts add up to what the band like to call a "metal album with a conscience" but given the group's insistence on delivering by the books Swedish metalcore it seems they haven't quite got the heart. In the end this is a solid debut that should help Winter Solstice get their name in the air, but it will take a whole lot more fire inside for these musicians to truly see Rome burn.