CHOKING ON ILLUSIONS-Rest/less

On what looks to be a beautiful sunny day a woman wearing a purple dress holds a bottle that emits smoke. She looks lost in a trance possibly consumed by something eternal. Something that has reached down and touched her soul, but in fact it's all just a big trick. Just as the album title states. Is it all just a trick? Or is it all so real that you can not tell the difference between fiction and reality?

Track 1. Intro- Instant static from a rotating record begins the album. A clean melody strums about, a warm glow hums, bringing about a dark steady thump that suddenly dies. Track 2. Rest-less- And just like that things carry over quickly. A massive eruption of instant glorified Hardcore. So many passionate, and yet superlatively creative parts. Delicious crunchy guitar riffs, rapid fire sharp smacking drums. Eclectic but with a very smart, well defined sense of self. There are endless amounts of worth and passion here. It's an aggressive anthem like beast. It has a feel of standing proud and tall enduring even the toughest of times. The guitar riffs speculate and dig deep within your heart. The music knows how to dissect you. Parts of the music are crisp and clear, but the vocals in places would be better if higher in the mix. Other than that I enjoyed all aspects of this song. Question, if track 1 is the beginning, why split the first and second, why not just make them one big track so everything flows together better.

Track 3. Sleepwalker- A rapid and dramatic cadence of thundering drums quickly ensnares you. Loving the alternating grooves here. The digital melodies in the backing track dangle in the back of your head. Delicious fucking bass, the lead guitar riffs are fucking sick as hell here. There's a madman slamming and raising hell on the skins. There are dramatic tastes of a dark and menacing brutality here, one filled with a pissed off youth, that's tired of being pissed on by society. Very captivating lyrical subject matter.

Track 4. Left Unsaid- An instant thundering set of drums, and rocking riffs open this madness. Mind numbing chugs glow through the darkness and shine through the mix with a catchy delight. Still wishing the vocals were higher in the mix, both lead and backing, from what I can here they sound excellent though. The song slows down if just for a moment to explode in your face like a bottle of ramped up passion. Things slow down and get quite warm and endearing. The track has a massive echo in the backing track, vocals are quite distant. I wish I could hear the vocals better. The melodies and eclectic groove of the music are impressive but the fact that you can't hear the vocals well, that's a downer, still enjoy the music.

Track 5. 13- Sweet twisting riffs of Hardcore begin this. Confusion is the message that seems to be conveyed. A nasty crunch alternates the groove at a neck snapping pace, that is quite unforgiving. Ok, just to be fair I can hear the vocals just a bit better though they are still distant sounding, excellent music. You hear music that sounds like a bands heart and soul has been poured into this. A sweet bass line enters the mix delivering great accent to the music. Interesting alternate styled vocals give the track great perspective. I am thoroughly enjoying the digital effects usage, it adds a bit more of a meaningful feel to the track.

Track 6. Borderlines- A similar eclectic drumming explosion begins this. The music moves so utterly quick, it yanks you along for a ride through the creative minds of this band. The stop and go action is quite nauseating, until the band reaches a groove that you can really move to. It's a bit dark, moody, but full of heart and soul, loving those long drawn out chords, backed by the POWERFUL DRUMS. Vocals are a bit better here, mix wise quality. Excellent that they threw a piano part in there to give it some extra life. It's taking on a dark inspirational feel now, one that could inspire mankind to do anything. The song finally fades on its epically tasteful drawn out power chords. Good stuff!

Track 7. Interlude- A somewhat distant and muffled piano provides a thoughtful intro. It takes a subtle feel of concern, as powerful distorted guitars and rumbling drums begin their overlaying groove of Hardcore. The call to action grows. The track instantly dies however on a final percussive blow, perhaps this is their way of marking the middle of the album.

Track 8. Broken Song- A rumbling presence is quick to appear here. A tasty bass line says hello. Creative yet troubling lyrical subject matter makes itself audibly visible. The music is delicious and has an infinitely awesome quality a catchy tune that might not be able to be matched. Still some issues with vocal volume level in the mix, they are damn good from what you can hear. Timing of this album is PERFECT, it's a sheer force of eclectic Hardcore and aggression, with a flavor of angst and darkness thrown in for good measure. The song slows down for a moment and a tasty guitar chug takes over, just long enough for the melody to get massively interesting. These guys move quick and deliberate.

Track 9. Death Waltz- Dirty riffs, that screech about, like a chalk board, but more in a rightly awesome fashion star this mad disaster of crushing pain. Plenty of meaningful stop and go action. They alternate between crazed aggression to anthem like melodies, it's the type of music that would get you through the hardest day of your life. Dark, warm, and meaningful. A slight annoying muffling fuzz in the track appears in the mix. I still definitely like the music though.

Track 10. L.O.V.E. - Awe inspiring yet short steady riffs begin this bounce of wonderful freedom. I can not begin to say enough about this bands unique sound. Brutal, yet delicious as can be at times, enough to motivate anything possible out the average human. Very aggressive and eclectic music, that may enhance your outlook on life as you thoroughly take a listen. Explicit lyrical subject matter. The song takes on a full on EPIC feel, but it finally dies and fades away on screeching distortion. Still great stuff.

Track 11. Baptism- Funeral- An instant crash of a cymbal begins this. Rumbling drums, signal the ending, but the fine tuned thought provoking melody tells you that this band is not going away with a FIGHT. The distant dubbed vocals, make you think of problems in the past, and even mistakes. An explosion of passionate distortion rocks the track. There is a groove and things become quite, but only a moment to introduce a meaningful and warm movement of music, that defines the soul of this album.

A very interesting review this has been, there is definite creativity, heart, and soul here. A sound that's there's for damn sure. Loved the melodies in some parts I have been quite moved in others not so much. The album fades upon a final percussive crunch.I would say my only complaint with this album is some of the issues with mixing quality. The music itself is damn good. Vocal's clarity in places is questionable. Also some annoying muffling of parts in parts here and there of the music. There is a definite hard core flavor through out this music that self defines this band, it's honest and true to itself. But, again parts of this album had EPIC flavors of grandeur as well as absolutely rocking mayhem that just can drive you over the edge, with them without questioning them. Very intelligent and eclectic material.

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Rating 8/10