Well, what should I say? I could tell you it’s well produced, the screams are clearer than they’ve ever been, the sung sections sound smooth and more natural (emphasis on more) than most metalcore releases now-a-days, and the album has a solid 45 minute run time. I could tell you all of that and it would be true, but honestly, that’s not really why you’re here. You most likely fall into one of two camps. First, the metal elitists (which is what I’m slowly becoming) who came here to mock “genericore” and already have their minds made up. If you belong to this group then you are going to hate the album regardless of what I say. The second group is comprised of those who were already MMI fans before At Heart was released. This group is a little more flexible. Sure, we’ll have the fanboys who will ignore any negative things I have to say and continue their unnatural love of what is a ridiculously bland album, but we’ll also have those who feel that metalcore is becoming (the elitists would argue it already has become) stale and who may hear reason. I’m addressing this review to the second portion of the second group.
As much as I want to love this album I just can’t find anything to love. Yes, it is tight, well executed and crisp sounding but beyond that there really aren’t any hooks; nothing that drags me into it. If you listen to metalcore you know what to expect. The drums are there to keep time during breakdowns and do absolutely nothing to set themselves apart from the rest of the band. They blend into the background throughout the entirety of the album and, although some would say that is a drummer’s job, I would have to disagree. A drummer should be more than just rhythm, he (or she) should be the backbone of the album—the glue that holds it all together. Sadly, what we have here is nothing more than packing tape. Yes, it gets the job done, but it doesn’t win any points for aesthetics.
The guitar work is typical metalcore fair, quick riffs during the verses, and breakdowns galore. The problem is none of the riffs are memorable and none of the breakdowns are hard hitting enough to warrant a second glance. In fact, even though I’ve listened to the album close to a dozen times, I can’t think of a single guitar riff or breakdown that made me sit up and take notice. The closet section I can think of is the opening section of “Gold to Rust” where vicious screams are layered over a somewhat fun breakdown.
As for the vocals, they are good for what they are but sadly, that just doesn’t cut it anymore. The metalcore scene is flooded with bands and just being “good” isn’t enough. Not a single screamed section makes you want to keep listening. In reality, I had to struggle to maintain my focus. The sung vocals are not much better. As I mentioned earlier, they are smooth and natural sounding and, in my humble opinion, one of the better parts of the album. But again, there are no hooks. Nothing to grab the listener. The only section that made me want to sing along was the chorus to “Leech”. That’s it. One song.
All this being said, nothing from At Heart is bad. In fact, none of it made me cringe in horror, but nothing other than my requirement to write this review made me want to repeat the album. I’ve put off this review for too long in hopes that this album will grow on me. It hasn’t and it won’t. I won’t be coming back to this in the foreseeable future, or, most likely, at all. I still cherish Miss May I’s debut album, Apologies are for the Weak as one of my fondest high school memories and a solid metalcore album. But I’m over this genre. It isn’t devoid of creativity but it is inundated with copies of copies of copies. If you’re a long time Miss May I fan then listen to this album, but otherwise, as much as I hate to say it, you should pass this by.
As much as I want to love this album I just can’t find anything to love. Yes, it is tight, well executed and crisp sounding but beyond that there really aren’t any hooks; nothing that drags me into it. If you listen to metalcore you know what to expect. The drums are there to keep time during breakdowns and do absolutely nothing to set themselves apart from the rest of the band. They blend into the background throughout the entirety of the album and, although some would say that is a drummer’s job, I would have to disagree. A drummer should be more than just rhythm, he (or she) should be the backbone of the album—the glue that holds it all together. Sadly, what we have here is nothing more than packing tape. Yes, it gets the job done, but it doesn’t win any points for aesthetics.
The guitar work is typical metalcore fair, quick riffs during the verses, and breakdowns galore. The problem is none of the riffs are memorable and none of the breakdowns are hard hitting enough to warrant a second glance. In fact, even though I’ve listened to the album close to a dozen times, I can’t think of a single guitar riff or breakdown that made me sit up and take notice. The closet section I can think of is the opening section of “Gold to Rust” where vicious screams are layered over a somewhat fun breakdown.
As for the vocals, they are good for what they are but sadly, that just doesn’t cut it anymore. The metalcore scene is flooded with bands and just being “good” isn’t enough. Not a single screamed section makes you want to keep listening. In reality, I had to struggle to maintain my focus. The sung vocals are not much better. As I mentioned earlier, they are smooth and natural sounding and, in my humble opinion, one of the better parts of the album. But again, there are no hooks. Nothing to grab the listener. The only section that made me want to sing along was the chorus to “Leech”. That’s it. One song.
All this being said, nothing from At Heart is bad. In fact, none of it made me cringe in horror, but nothing other than my requirement to write this review made me want to repeat the album. I’ve put off this review for too long in hopes that this album will grow on me. It hasn’t and it won’t. I won’t be coming back to this in the foreseeable future, or, most likely, at all. I still cherish Miss May I’s debut album, Apologies are for the Weak as one of my fondest high school memories and a solid metalcore album. But I’m over this genre. It isn’t devoid of creativity but it is inundated with copies of copies of copies. If you’re a long time Miss May I fan then listen to this album, but otherwise, as much as I hate to say it, you should pass this by.
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