This or the Apocalypse - Haunt What's Left REVIEW

Ok, yes: I'm unforgivably late to the TOTA party. How did I not buy this album when it came out last year? Beautiful melodic sections and acoustic breaks coupled with pure thrash riffing and syncopated, staccato muted breakdowns? This band is like if August Burns Red and As I Lay Dying had a musical baby. So, you know, its truly breathtaking in its brutal perfection.

The lyrics have to be what catch me about this band the most. They tell some pretty vivid, haunting metaphorical tales delivered by passionate and honest screams and singing. What surprised me was how unorthodox an approach to writing TOTA took in creating this album. Gone are the obvious breakdown buildups, or the predictable solos or patterns; the super catchy and memorable choruses seem to sneak up on the listener.

The guitars and bass seem to all be the same person; by that I mean that they work better as a unit than most any other string units in metal music today. Be it an anthem (Lamnidae), a driving, percussive beast (Charmer) or a more ethereal, epic song (Hellish, my personal favorite), this unit of stringsmen never fails to deliver catchy, stuck-in-my-head-all-day riffs. The lead guitar weaves in and out of the mix with riffs and solos that seem to be classical and modern all at the same time. The rhythm guitar and bass connect every unit of every song with fluid, expert playing that makes for an album that can progress logically from note to note, on every song of this album. The guitar playing on this album is pretty much what inspired me to start playing for real again; its the kind of playing that makes you want to listen to nothing but this album for weeks at a time, which is far from common in modern metal music.

And, as usual, I save the drumming section for last. This whole review I've been secretly trying to find words to describe Grant Mcfarland's playing...I got nothing. Here, you try:



...exactly. It's exactly what this band needed: driving, intense precision-driven rhythm that never lets up. He doesn't beat eardrums to death with an over-abundance of bass beats, nor does he spend the whole song using about 1/3 of his drumset, as is the case with most metal drummers. No, Grant gets the full use out of every cymbal/drum/effect in his arsenal, and makes a a four-piece set sound like it take up an entire building. Flawless. 

I hate that I was so behind on finding this gem of a hardcore album. August Burns Red fanboys like myself will tell you: this is something a metal fan must have in their collection. The riffs, the songwriting, the level of musicianship...pick your reason, but whatever you do, buy this album.

Tracklisting:

1. Charmer
2. Subverse
3. The Incoherent
4. Lamnidae
5. Hellish
6. Toro
7. Backlit
8. Hayseed
9. Deadringer
10. Revenant