People will do anything to avoid facing themselves. We
naturally prefer to tackle obstacles in the simplest way possible, regardless
if it’s actually the right way to solve an issue. Unfortunately, when we are
faced with personal issues, we opt for simpler, temporary solutions rather than
long-lasting and healthier alternatives. Our favorite solution? Avoidance. We
avoid such a daunting task as self-reflection or introspection rather than
directly deal with our issues at hand. Why? Because it’s easy. It’s easier to chase white dragons, hit the
bottle, and shut out other people. It’s easier to avoid looking directly into
the mirror for fear of whom or what we may see reflected back at us. As a
result, we further deteriorate, rendering ourselves empty shells or distant
echoes of who we once were as we are slowly consumed by the endless cycle of
running from our own shadow. Some of us will spend the rest of our lives
running from our mistakes, our past(s), and ourselves. Others will stop
running, turn to face their issues, and create something from their
self-destruction. Standing amongst those courageous few is none other than
Columbus, Ohio’s Until Yesterday. Their debut full-length release, We Learn to Live With Ourselves, narrates a harrowing reflective
tale as it mercilessly thrashes your ears with every passionate riff and
emotive verse.
Kicking off the album is “Spring Rain”, an explosively
energetic track that will grip your ears with every emotionally devastating
riff and verse. Dark, brooding notes and
licks gradually meet a pulsating drum fill before exploding into an abusive
torrent of skin-shredding riffs, driving percussion, and thick, heavy
screams. Guitarists Morris and Patton
masterfully mesh together sporadic, fast-paced riffs with controlled, slower,
bitter riffage as wailing melodic overlays soar overhead to create a dynamic,
face-ripping, eye-widening instrumental effect. Drummer Nathan Conley unleashes
a storm of relentless, ear-popping percussive might in a series of expertly
crafted rolls, fills, footwork, and cymbal play as bassist Alex Sheridan’s
bitter undertones steadily groove on. Vocalist Nicholas Marzluf wields a
brilliant display of rich mid and high screams, brutal low growls, and effects
such as split-scream harmonies and tastefully light echoes to add extra layers
of intensity, punctuation, and depth to his overall vocal delivery. An interlude built upon mildly ambient,
brooding, melodic licks and the familiar introductory drum fill reaches culmination
in the form of an aggressive and energetic breakdown before returning to the
previously devastating riffage and gradually fading out to the sound of a
gentle piano medley.
Up next is “When the Light Leaves the Room”, a ravaging
track that is bursting at the seams with jarringly emotional riffage and
intense, heavy breakdowns. Sweeping, apologetic plucked notes and a light piano
aria gently lead your ears to a false sense of security before introducing you face-first
to a traumatic amalgamation of hard-hitting, slightly reverberated riffs and
licks, grooving bass undertones, and pulsating percussion. Gloomy, melodic riffs beautifully melt into
somber licks and melancholic overlays, which in turn violently clash with
tumultuous and sporadic bursts of searing, heavy riffage. What makes Morris and
Patton’s instrumental delivery so powerful in this track is their inherent
sense of maintaining energy through stop-and-start riffage, in which heavy riffs
are rudely interrupted for blissful, sorrowful light melodic licks and riffs
before suddenly plunging back into the hail of heavy instrumentation. Conley’s drumming
follows in a complimentary parallel fashion, crafting stellar rolls, fills, and
cymbal play to create the perfect accentuation to the rest of the
instrumentation. Marzluf puts more focus on his rich, full-sounding mid-scream
range in this track, instead lightly placing highs, lows, and spoken-word-yells
as accent marks to add depth and emphasis his vocal delivery. Multiple breakdowns
abound this track, each one adding perfectly poignant intensity and emphasis to
the track as the collective musicality and instrumentation savagely tears at
your ears like wolves to a moose’s hide.
Though quite a few songs can be considered as standout
tracks, title track “We Learn to Live With Ourselves” is absolutely deserving
of an honorable mention. A lengthy drum fill instantly greets your ears and
soon meets a sweeping piano medley before taking on an aggressive form of vicious
and irate instrumentation. Spastic, ferocious riffs that seethe with a violent
anger progressively build in intensity as sporadic flecks of melodic overlays join
the fray of murderous, whiplash-inducing instrumentation. Conley displays a
dynamic and unrelenting percussive display of quick footwork, excellent cymbal
play, and expert execution of rolls and fills. Marzluf’s ferocious mid screams
and harsh high screams take the forefront of his vocal delivery as he audibly
pours his heart into each word of every verse. The seemingly endless onslaught of blood-boiling,
vicious instrumentation comes to a sudden halt in an interlude built upon emotionally
drenched riffage that simmers out into muted chords and licks before further
dissolving back into the seductive introductory piano medley, leaving you
breathless, emotionally destroyed, and shaking.
The album closes with “Strain”, a somber track that will
tear your heart out with each doleful riff and lick. A rush of emotionally
drenched melodic riffage, driving percussion, and harsh screams instantly greet
your ears from the moment you press play. Morris and Patton’s slightly discordant
melodic overlays and licks sail overtop sexy, grooving, ambient riffage that
oozes a “classic hardcore” vibe as Conley’s impressive percussive display and
Sheridan’s grooving undertones steadily pound away at your eardrums. Marzluf
showcases his harsh, raw high screams overtop his rich mid screams, granting
his vocal delivery a truer sense of urgency and emotional depth. The tirade of
emotional urgency and somber instrumentation takes a downturn into a gorgeous
set of sorrowful strummed notes against a gentle weeping piano medley, which
quickly fades into the breathtaking, lingering sorrow of the piano before
fading into a silence that will leave you emotionally distraught and begging
for more.
Overall, Until Yesterday has successfully created one of the
most emotionally devastating melodic hardcore albums of this year. What makes
this album truly exceptional is the amount of raw energy, emotion, and passion
that is poured into every track and ultimately connects the album as a cohesive whole. The dynamicity between each musician and instrumental element is so
clearly audible in every ear-splitting riff, hit, kick, and scream that it even
remains present in the silence in between each note. We Learn To Live With Ourselves is more than an album, it’s a
musical and emotional standard that most other melodic hardcore bands will find
hard to match.
9.2/10
For Fans Of:
Hundredth, Counterparts, Balance and Composure
Katt Hass
Katt Hass
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