Albums

Album Review: Exit Ten

[Album: Remember The Day]
[Label: Deep Burn/Pinnacle]

Exit Ten are one of those up and coming bands that have been exciting folk in the industry left, right and centre. They’ve already earned themselves some big tour support slots (Avenged Sevenfold, Every Time I Die, 36 Crazyfists) and recently got to shake their buxom Brit-metalcore cleavage at this year’s Download Festival. The hype surrounding them is about to pay out with the release of ‘Remember The Day’, their debut full-length effort.

From the opening notes of ‘Technically Alive’ it is instantly clear that Ryan Redman’s crisp, melodic vocal is the central focus around which this band revolves. Guitars interweave underneath it and drums rebound off it, but it refuses to be lost in the mix. It’s not a battering ram of a voice, but a pure ringing emotional thing that will not be ignored with every enunciated lyric reaching the listener. ‘Godspeed’ is a gigantic bag of tricks with battering Lamb Of God guitars collapsing into As I Lay Dying melodics whilst drum rolls cannon out of the breakdown and into gut-wrenching double-kicks.

At times they lose focus by revelling too long in their melodies. By dallying at the melodic edge their impact is dulled with tracks such as ‘Perish In The Flames’ and ‘Something To Say’ sounding like a poor man’s Incubus. When they thrash it, however, they are capable of producing epic, challenging tracks that are jaw-dropping. ‘Warriors’ is gutsy, gritty and features a sing-along chorus whilst ‘Reveal Yourself’ is all crunchy, nagging guitars and gunshot drums which race each against other, like two mighty drag cars, to the chequered flag.

Ultimately, it’s all about the quality of songwriting, the refusal to reproduce Neanderthal lyrics or fall into a pattern of repetitious riffing, and the infusion of emotional, gut-wrenching soul that separates Exit Ten from the slumbering norm. To produce something this accomplished so quickly can only be the sign of a band with true passion and genius talent. I’m not sure what they’ve been putting in the water in Reading (perhaps it has something to do with the annual rock festival they put on there) but it’s time to prepare yourselves for yet another bunch of the city’s metalheads (think Sylosis, Viatrophy, Malefice) to shake the big industry tree.

For fans of: Still Remains, Fightstar, Parkway Drive
Band link = Exit Ten

Buy this CD!

John’s review is also published in TLOBF.

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