Facedown Records is one of my all time favorite record labels. Not because of the guitar I won from them (via my Plea for Purging preorder) or their apparent love for dogs (who roam their offices freely) but simply because of their incredible family of artists who share the same (or similar ) religious beliefs, yet retain a singular sound. Impending Doom sounds nothing like A Plea for Purging, who sounds nothing like the subject of this album review, For Today.
And speaking of Breaker? I loved it. The thought-provoking spoken word interludes between the brutal, technical and uplifting tracks that include the best syncopated combination hardcore, shred and punk metal. Mattie (vocals) holds nothing back with his lyrics, which unabashedly call for the listener to do more than just follow the words of God, but to open their own mind, listen to the teachings and act accordingly. His screams are passionate, but delivered in such a way that one can actually understand whats being said. The clean singing (gang vocals and otherwise) are as beautifully layered as always. The stringsmen (Ryan Leitru and Mike Reynolds) of this band constructed some jaw-dropping licks and scalar runs on this album. These impressive chops are married to some chug-heavy breakdowns that still manage to be fresh and interesting amidst a scene where palm muting open chords has become the rule, rather than a creative expression.
Lets not forget the drums and bass. As my three readers may have noticed (I have three, right? I don't wanna sound cocky when I really have two.) I usually hold a special love for the rhythm section of the more technical bands I listen to, and this album was no different for me. David Morrison is a professional drummer at his best on this offering; his work here could stand out on its own. Its heavy, its fast and a perfect complement to the technical brand of metal his counterparts have written. The accents, the bell hits, everything just bleeds pure rhythm and groove, which is a welcome change from the current scene trend of abusing the bass drum for ten tracks. Bassist Brandon Leitru deserves special mention here as well: even on the previous album, Portraits, his tracks were mixed to where the listener could pick him out and enjoy a master at work. On Breaker he gets a little more melodic, especially on the interlude The Breaker's Encounter, which features a beautiful little bass lick.
Whether you share the faith of this talented quintet or not, this is music you simply can not afford to miss out on. Fans of any kind of metal can get into this album, period. Put away any close minded ideals and just jam to this; I did, and it led me to some of the best music 2010 had to offer.
Tracklisting:
- The Breaker's Origin
- Devastator
- The Advocate
- The Breaker's Valley
- Seraphim
- Arm the Masses
- White Flag
- The Breaker's Encounter
- Phoenix
- Psalm of the Son
- King
- The Breaker's Commission
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