Heavy melodic
Black Mass hard rock meets prog meets...well, pretty much insert genre here, is an album packed with variety - opening with the riff heavy Safety Word which sports a southern rock feel and sounds very much like Every Time I Die, even down to the vocals and rhythms, so its a solid track with a good melodic base but nothing new. Bitches Get Stitches feels more distinctive and pushes the album forward nicely – groove laden, angular, low and dirty guitar is a highlight on this track as is another memorable vocal line which are a feature of the record.
There aren't really any low points or weak moments on the album Walk You Home is worth a mention though; its a strong tune featuring Sam McTrusty's vocals, however, even though they are pretty catchy and sing along it's not so much the vocals that stick with you but the great riffs and the energy. The raw aggression and blasts of power behind Sucks To Be You wake you up, in a good way and tracks like Happiness Is A Hole heap on the darkness with a nasty edge (backed by really heavy duty riffage) coming to the front and setting up a great moody atmosphere.
The album is rammed with ideas and great melodies, plenty of chunky and off kilter riffs and memorable vocal lines making it pretty accessible for newcomers to JLV but for fans there is also the expectation hanging at the back of your mind throughout that Thomas Erak is going to pull of some intense and complex riffage at any time. The technical guitars seem to have been toned down a lot though on this record to make way for a focus on song structure and melody which in its self is no bad thing of course, in fact it actually makes the record more cohesive and well rounded, but for those who know his previous work it means that you may find it doesn't hit you between the eyes the way it perhaps should.