Romeo Must Die- Defined By Enemies
Featuring ex members Adam Frakes•Sime and Ben Frost of legendary UK metallers Stampin’ Ground, new incarnation Romeo Must Die have continued the aggressive metal theme for their debut album ‘Defined By Enemies’
Now remember never to judge a book by its cover, the same goes for this. Forget the artsy graphic novel-esque album cover and slightly cringing band name as this is nothing to be fooled by. Romeo Must Die are not soft and they’re definitely not anything remotely to do with ‘emo’.
The ex Stampin’ Ground lads sound is of course very much of the metalcore variety.
With its blatant aggression, hints of hardcore and solid chugging riffs, the boys have indeed done us proud yet again.
Think Pantera; throw in some Sick Of It All and top it off with some Hatebreed and you’ve got one of the most refreshing new bands to emerge from the metalcore crop.
‘Defined By Enemies’ kicks off with ‘The Awakening’. After a long pulsing dynamic build up, the track comes crashing into life with the raw power and aggression you’d expect from the boys. What follows sums up most of the album, it’s chugging, heavy and quite simple in a ‘man makes hardcore meets metal’ sense. With solid drumming and blood thirsty screams the record is absolutely ferocious, bitter and ready to bite.
The pace is kept up until track 7 ‘The Shadows That Wait’ which begins with a glorious passage of intertwining guitar melodies and ethereal strings. It calms the storm quite perfectly.
At just over 20 minutes long too, it does its job and makes a quick exit, leaving you feeling like you’ve had enough for the moment, but it won’t be long before you need a second dose.
Full of spitting venom and pure hardcore energy, ‘Defined By Enemies’ is clearly something that was loved and something that was very important to get right. Despite the metalcore tag this album is not following a trend, it’s the evolution of a band that was highly regarded amongst the metalcore elite, Romeo Must Die are simply the next stage, with a bit more of a metallic edge and a hell of a lot more knowledge.
Recommended for Stampin’ Ground fans and those that love metalcore, just don’t be put off by the name, they’re not ‘emo’ I promise!