Album Review: Obey The Brave - 'Young Blood'

Earlier this year, ‘Ups And Downs’ gained Obey the Brave some serious attention. They already had some response as the band featured ex-members of Despised Icon and Blind Witness - but, the small release cemented the eyes and ears of what has become a decent sized fan base.

The time has come for their debut full-length album, ‘Young Blood,’ and fans expectations will seemingly determine the record’s success.

Allow me to elaborate, if you are looking for standard metalcore, which at times sounds very similar to many of the group’s peers, but is solid nonetheless, you will enjoy this record. If you are tiring of the genre and are in need of some tweaks and new ideas, this album will bore the shit out of you.

Opening track 'Lifestyle' features guitars and pace, which sounds exactly like an A Day To Remember track and really should have been left off the record. Instead, opening with the fast paced and aggressive 'It Starts Today' seemed the preferable route. The one thing that Obey The Brave have decided to focus on that many of the latest metalcore releases of late have shied away from, is being brutally heavy and making sure the many breakdowns of the record will cause mayhem in a crowd.

Metalcore diehards will praise them for their attention to aggression, letting melody and other modern metalcore niceties fall by the wayside. Melody is by no means absent, but saved until the end with tracks such as album closers 'Early Graves' and 'Burning Bridges'. The heaviest moment, and by default, probably the stand out track, is easily 'Live And Learn'. Every single element about this track is intense and relentless in its delivery. Vocalist Alex Erian’s growls elevate in sections to pure evil, with the track pumping the feel of the record up, which perfect into the stutter filled 'Garde La Tete Friode'.

Something that really should have been left out is the half way hip-hop inspired interlude track 'Grim'. It offers nothing, makes no sense and ruins the pace of the record. If anything, it destroys the album’s pure hardcore credibility. So much damage done with a mere thirty seconds.

Sitting and listening to ‘Young Blood’ in its entirety is a very boring experience due to the stock standard metalcore nature of the music. Picking individual tracks is far more entertaining and the band would no doubt destroy things in a live setting. However, many will feel that they need more from this album.

1. Lifestyle

2. It Starts Today

3. Self Made

4. Live And Learn

5. Garde La Tete Friode

6. Grim

7. Get Real

8. Time For A Change

9. Unstoppable

10. Early Graves

11. Burning Bridges