Album Review: Your Demise - 'The Kids We Used To Be'

Some say that progress is best championed through recounting the past. With numerous line-up changes and seven years of superstar bliss under their belts, it seems that UK heavy hardcore-hitters, Your Demise have a lot of history to reflect upon in their latest release, ‘The Kids We Used to Be’. And whilst this process of reflecting appears so central to their third studio album, maybe the act of ‘progress’ is easier said than done. Following up the explosion of their second full-length, ‘Ignorance Never Dies’ – catapulting them across Europe and North America in touring with the likes of Parkway Drive, Emmure, Raised Fist and The Devil Wears Prada - Your Demise paint their past on the canvas that is ‘The Kids We Used to Be’, spilling their blood and guts in 11 tracks “For anyone who cares and anyone who listens...” And despite bearing the dark tinge of a heavy maroon, splotches of metallic bronze and a solid tone of fast pure white, it seems that collectively, Your Demise’s newest album is coloured with shades of grey.

The album’s prologue colours our surrounds as the present 2010; intro, ‘MMX’ contextualizing the heavy-chugging nature this band has chosen to stay true to and establishing the personal tone of this release, proclaiming “With all our hearts, we write this for ourselves.” For fans of their raw, hard-hitting sound, you’ll be happy to know that this is Your Demise as you’ve come to love over the past few years.   Essentially, despite recruiting new vocalist, Ed Mcrae, these opening minutes attest that this band’s dipped their brushes in the same paint they’ve used time and time again; bringing little to really open our eyes and spark our senses in terms of heavy hardcore. And whilst the common Terror and Madball influence reigns through heavier tracks such as ‘Scared of the Light’, there’s not much defined as truly innovative on Your Demise’s behalf for the latter of this release.

And whilst baring common traits, judging this release isn’t so black and white as it may sound. What this band has achieved is a slight mix of tones in their palette; incorporating a more melodic sound in several tracks such as ‘xo’ and ‘Teenage Lust’, sounding more catchy than the tracks of previous releases and sometimes slightly offering a Comeback Kid-esque feel. ‘Miles Away’ is the definite black sheep in the mix; the fast pace and lengthy chord progressions maintained throughout most explicitly reminiscing American melodic punk styles pioneered by Sinking Ships and Betrayed. A slight progression in their sound, clean vocals guiding choruses in several tracks such as ‘Life of Luxury’ and ‘The Kids We Used To Be’ really carry this greater melodic nature of the band, and their reverting towards punk roots. However, many of these attempts aren’t as pleasant as they may sound on paper, sometimes truly sounding ‘Like A Broken Record’.

Through their latest release, ‘The Kids We Used To Be’ Your Demise have offered a few new colours to their heavy-hardcore palette in exploring the winding path they’ve taken to this stage. What these rising UK giants have produced is a fun, sometimes catchy and overall, energetic album which attests to the sound they have defined themselves throughout the world with. However, whilst progress is achieved in the melodic aspects of this heavy CD, little to nothing innovative is really done with this sound, a large flaw that most significantly lets this album down. I guess we can positively say that at least this one didn’t have dubstep.

1. "MMX" 

2. "Miles Away" 

3. "Scared of the Light" 

4. "Life of Luxury (feat. Mike Duce of Lower Than Atlantis)" 

5. "Teenage Lust" 

6. "The Kids We Used To Be..." 

7. "Get The Fuck Out of Little Rock" 

8. "Like a Broken Record" 

9. "Shine On (feat. Mike Hranica of The Devil Wears Prada)" 

10. "Give Up, Get Dropped, Lose Out" 

11. "xo"