-Seven Hours After Violet : "s/t"

If you are going to start up a nu-metal, then it pays to be the bass player from System of Down. He is not going to let you forget where he came from. Some of this lies on the shoulders of Taylor Barber from Left to Suffer. I have reviewed two Left to Suffer albums and still did not know he could sing like this. You can tell they are influenced by nu-metal, and he was a wise choice as the heavier moments bridge a gap between the metal-core of today and the 90s nu-metal. The opening track has a more Slipknot feel, though electronic ambiance haunts it. "Alive" sounds like "Jet Pilot" from "Toxicity". The chorus hook works really well. 

"Sunrise" finds a balance of pop hooks, and down-tuned guitars slamming into you. The vocals are almost delicate enough to appeal to the sensitive souls who are fans of pop acts like Sleep Token,. but the song is more firmly rooted in metal. There is a more fun-loving 90s feel to  "Go!". It's a little too upbeat for my personal tastes, as I prefer music to be angrier or more depressed. But it's well done for what it is. "Float" does not try to be a nu-metal ballad in the vein of "Ariels" but does a more metal-core version of its own thing. Poppier than Killswitch Engage, but not passing out like Sleep Token either. The chorus is strong for this sort of thing.  "Glink" splits the difference and leans more in the direction of commercial metal core, but works well. 

They even get pretty brutal for "Cry" while balancing it out with a nice vocal hook. This perfect balance found in the songwriting is what elevates them above the bulk of the bands on either side of the equation in this regard. "Abandon" is not filler, but it feels like it focuses on the lowest common denominator. "Radiance" finds the sung vocals leading into the song. It builds into an arena-ready chorus that is ready to soar to the radio or wherever mainstream rock is played these days. It feels like they are nailing what Sleep Token was trying to do, but still bringing some balls to things.  "Gloom" continues along a similar path, but is marginally darker.

"Feel" works within the formula they have established with enough nuance to keep it interesting. This album impressed me more than expected, and a great deal of the praise should go to Taylor Barber, who let's face it was going up again Serj when it comes to the expectations of System of a Down fans, he rose the the occasion and I will give this album a 9.5 

10.7

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