Album Review: The Miracle - 'Not Just Words'

There’s nothing more refreshing than hearing a band who can take a tried and true formula, and put a certain twist on things to make it their own. There’s also nothing more frustrating than hearing a band who attempt to do this, but lack the balls to take a big enough step away from the old methods to really make it work.

Case in point: Italy’s The Miracle. As opening track Guilty revs things up with a short sample slamming into a melodic, bounding guitar riff, Not Just Words looks geared to be a cranking, albeit slightly clichéd hardcore CD. And for a while, that’s exactly what it is. You Lost My Trust is testament to this, if not simply in name alone, cutting between mosh-heavy breakdowns, fast verses and catchy gang vocals, it looks like these guys have got all the boxes checked.

And so the album rollicks along with two stepping, finger pointing enthusiasm, delivering everything we love about this music with customary conviction and intensity. But it’s not until The Silver Note, a slow and sombre piano track, that I begin to think of these songs in a different light. Although it’s nothing more than an interlude, it uses subtleties like the soft buzz of an old vinyl record, and an antique piano sound to create a whole different feel for the album unlike anything I’ve heard from a hardcore band of this style.

Title track Not Just Words, while still maintaining real power and energy, keeps this melancholy, nostalgic feel going- and herein lies the aforementioned frustration. Because although these guys clearly have the ability to invoke feelings not normally associated with the genre they play, they wimp out too often and resort to the same old tricks, resulting in an overall sound that great fun as it is, had potential to be so much more.

While these songs are all good, it’s that potential to take it to another level that doesn’t see nearly enough action here. It shines through for a minute, and then it’s gone, blacked out by the ugly shadow of sticking to what’s safe.

There are some really fantastic ideas toyed with here, as fleeting as they are, it’s well worth a listen.

1. Guilty

2. You Lost My Trust

3. My Rights, No Rights

4. What Belongs To Me

5. The Silver Note

6. You Will Be Gone

7. Not Just Words

8. What’s Wrong With Me?

9. We Will Fight You