All Else Failed Archetype

This Philadelphia band tears shit up on 'Archetype.' One need not go further than the opening track to get a feel for just how punishing this band can be. "The Hutton Play" has to be one of the heaviest songs of the year. Deep grooves and pulsing shades of noisecore and mathcore dissolve into an infectious repetition of counter-melody, all aggressively anchored by some wicked drum beats. Much of the mayhem can be attributed to the relentless vocals. How this guy doesn't hurt himself is beyond me. His lungs sound as if they're halfway up his throat with each harsh bellow. Wow, what a great tune. The rough stuff continues over the course of the next few tracks. Things get quite interesting though halfway through the fourth track, "Route 1." The song has some nice hardcore/math stuff going on before it suddenly fades into a strange, eery middle section. The vocalist suddenly introduces the listener to a new facet of his delivery. Instead of yelling, he employs a thin, almost falsetto, voice, devoid of any aggression or anger (there's something oddly disturbing about his wobbly singing, and it will rear it's psychotic head several more times before this album is through). And just as the listener is lulled into a trance of sorts, the band busts out with a thunderous reprise. Naturally, the heavy stuff picks up again with "A Release", a short burst of emotion that isn't given quite enough time to develop. Fortunately, there's some great stuff crammed into the 2:00 minute song though. It's at this point, of course, that record loses a little steam. Nothing horrible, just a few mediocre tracks. There are still some very solid joints left though, including the brutal "Your Days Are Numbered", and a very effective and dynamic song entitled "In Time", which features some nice guitar work in addition to more memorable vocals. Both the packaging and layout of this release are very professional. The recording itself is quite good as well, with some nice bottom-end to boot. Moreover, the fact that 'Archetype' was produced by Benjamin Weinman, of the Dillinger Escape Plan, will no doubt appeal to many of you. Bottom Line: This is definitely some good stuff. A few of the arrangements are rather repetitious, but in some odd way, they keep you coming back for more. All Else Failed is able to meld many elements of today's hardcore/metal scene into some very original stuff. Top everything off with some great vocals, and what you have here is an album definitely worth picking up.