Reviewed by Peter John Willoughby

After the 2005 release 'Lay Waste The Poets', it looked as if Inked In Blood were going to disappear from the scene. After an endless succession of musicians, they finally settled down when the two remaining original members Joey Trump (vocals) and Matt McDonnell (guitar) were joined by Steven Gosvener (bass), Kelly Mullinix (guitar/vocals) and Stephen Poole (drums). "Call To Arms" is very appropriate for the opening track as they launch off with harsh screaming, breakdowns and clear vocals on the chorus, whereas "Alters" mainly has clear vocals throughout and an upbeat tempo. For some unknown reason they put a twinkly instrumental in the middle of the album, so I took this as my cue to go off and make a cup of tea, returning to the emocore influences on "This Moment". Joey Trump states, "We were really inspired by Further Seems Forever for much of the songwriting on this record. The hooks are founded on addictive melodies and singable choruses; in fact the entire album is rooted firmly in the tradition of evolving hardcore where the energy, intelligence and beauty of a band's sound reflect the current state of the scene." Somehow this release demonstrates being both heavier and more melodic than their previous outings.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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