You’ve got to be fucking kidding…
It’s not often I come across
a record that has absolutely nothing going for it. Even the worst releases
that I’ve have been sent my way have least earned points for quality
artwork (or something else that’s not actually the musical content),
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but The Respect Issue is, in the simplest of terms, a steaming
pile of shit.
Now correct me if I’m wrong,
but a “breakdown” (at least in the world of hardcore and metal)
usually follows a tune’s faster passage so that it has some kind of
dynamic effect. Emmure clearly didn’t get the memo, because
their songs (I use the term loosely) are one mosh part after another,
with absolutely nothing separating the endless stream of near identical
riffs. It bothers me that so many talented bands fly under the music
buying public’s radar, yet a group as devoid of talent as Emmure are in a position to release records.
I’m going to forgo my usual
track-by-track analysis of The Respect Issue, as the songs do
not contain the diversity to warrant such a lengthy explanation. The
un-trained ear could not separate the record’s first three numbers.
Whether it’s the slowly crawling tempo set by the drums or the monotonous
chugging of (both) the band’s guitarists, not one of these songs is
able to distinguish itself from the others. “False Love In Real Life”
almost fell into the same category as its predecessors, however it does
have a brief section that picks up the pace ever so slightly, until
of course Emmure have a crack at the record for the world’s
slowest and most painful to listen to breakdown.
from being the most original piece of music you’re going to hear,
but it’s cleanly picked intro and melody friendly riffs are a welcome
change from the last ten minutes of boredom that I’ve had to suffer
through. I’m normally a fan of chugging, half time metalcore but the
beginner’s level guitar work and god damn awful lyrics had me reaching
for the stop button on more than one occasion, although “Rough Justice”
has some redeeming value courtesy of its European influenced guitar
work and screeching breakdown, the only other part of the record I enjoyed
was the instrumental “Dry Ice”.
Not many bands do this style of
music well and Emmure sure as hell isn’t one of them. Wait
another month and get yourself a copy of the new The Acacia Strain record.
Oh yeah, the artwork is appalling!
Of Control
What I Don’t Say
Life