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Notes: - Album was actually made available digitallly first through iTunes on May 23rd, 2010. - A music video was made for the song "Carllito's Way". Click here to watch! Links: - Band logo - Google Video Search - Official Myspace - Sumerian Records Review information: - Album length: 33:03 - Review posted on April 7th, 2010 |
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Review
Don't you love those stickers on the front of cases now that reference related bands and usually have nothing to do with the band at hand? In this case, this act was recommended for fans of Lamb Of God, Whitechapel, and Pantera. As boggling as this comparison is, the only band you could compare this band to from that list is Whitechapel. Upon A Burning Body's debut album, The World Is Ours, is clearly marketed wrong in that field, as well as by the band who seems to try to bring in a Mafia feel to the music. This Texas-based act brings an album that seems to be dripping with references of famed mafia-based films, but only to semi-fail with lyrics that in some way represent the overall feeling of each movie used as track name's, but still ultimately be the most generically written lyrics that are more along the lines of what would be expected from a NYC-based Hardcore act. Yes, you read right. Each track title here is representative of a famous mafia-based film, with exceptions to "Showtime", "Intermission" and [I believe this was not a mafia film] "City Hall". "Showtime" is just an introduction track that features sound bites from the news talking about "the family" for a bit, and then some really impressive music chimes in with the vocalist welcoming you to said family. The tragedy here is that the band only used that music as an introduction and didn't expand on it since this track had the potential to be a really impressive song. After that, it's an onslaught of intensity, awesome riffs, and breakdowns that aren't anything too new or impressive, but is intense enough to make listeners excited. While the band may be from Texas, it's clear that they do have some musical inspirations from the NYC Hardcore scene through random rap moments. "Carlito's Way" features it very briefly and really isn't enough to completely ruin the experience, but "Intermission" features an absolutely random rap section that chimes in with "What up bitches" and is clearly done by some white guy trying to sound like the most gangster rapper out there. While that track is rather laughable thanks to that and the rather rap-tinged lyrics as well, you also have "Heat" which features easily one of the most awkward Emo moments in Metal today. The guitars during the moment because hauntingly annoying and melodic for absolutely no reason, and the vocals go from a varied gutteral range and higher rhasp, to a cleanly sung whininess that completely contradicts every bad ass element of this recording. But, given the people infatuated with the Deathcore scene today, does this really come as a surprise? Those two random moments aside, The World Is Ours is still a highly enjoyable CD. There's plenty of tracks on here, like "Donnie Brasco" and "City Hall". While it doesn't really bring anything new to the table, or completely stick with the mafia theme the band has all the time, the music is still intense and deeply rooted in the "core" styles, blending gang chants effortlessly with the band's NYC hardcore background and somewhat ambient guitar work that reflects the atmosphere of the album well. Before you know it, the album's over, and you'll want to dive right back in as soon as those final notes on the very appropriate epic (by Deathcore standards) closer "City Hall" are played. This track is perhaps the most damning of all though, since there isn't a single track on this release that compares to how well done "City Hall" is. |
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