Will, Love, Life
Modern, melodic metalcore bands are two-a-penny these days, and the familiar sound of twangy, down-tuned guitars buffed out to oblivion by beefy production values is likely to put a lot of people off without a second thought. There's something about French troupe As They Burn though; a certain je ne sais quoi with this release that has ended up landing them a deal with Victory Records, and it's well deserved. The keyboard atmospherics, the interesting Aleister Crowley-related lyrical themes, the overall feel of Will, Love, Life; there's an edge here that puts them in a damn fine position as they release their sophomore album.
Their name is as generic as band names come, but their music, the only real element of importance here, thankfully does not share that same trait. The arrival of keyboard player Bastien Jacquesson is a gargantuan boon that raises the music above the bland and the obvious, adding a genuinely exciting, almost cyber-metal dimension to the band's sound. At times technical and at other times (for dire want of a less cringe-worthy phrase) more street, As They Burn's take on modern metal sounds surprisingly fresh. Origin wastes no time in leaping in with a Meshuggah-meets-Gojira tech-riff, fusing it with European melodeath atmospherics and frontman Kevin Traore's furious holler.
Both guitarists are used to great effect, with the combination of complex fretwork and huge, down-tuned riffs maintaining a good balance on the likes of Isis and opener Medicine 2.0. The pace of the album sounds deliberately restrained, generating a strong sense of disquiet and downtrodden atmosphere (especially noticeable within the second half of the album), whilst the incessant flow of pounding, rhythmically interesting drumming and guitar riffs is admirable.
Their brand of melodic metalcore is reminiscent of more modern bands, yet As They Burn distance themselves from the quagmire of the dull and mediocre, possessing a distinct edge that proves to be alluring in all its bleak inner-city sentiment. It's a modern sound that has certainly been done before, but rarely does a band nail it quite like As They Burn, and with as much conviction and integrity. Once again France shows the rest of the world how it's done. Will, Love, Life is a highly recommended listen, even for those who would immediately discount the more modern metalcore movement.