There Will Be Blood [Rocket Science]
Chicago’s Dirge Within blast back onto the scene with a fairly solid follow up to their 2009 debut Force Fed Lies, entitled There Will Be Blood. This unabashedly metalcore (circa 2004) release shoots straight for the hearts of fans of bands like All That Remains and Killswitch Engage with razor-edged thrash riding alongside melodic sections and catchy choruses peppered with anthemic lyrics about self-reliance and crushing all those who oppose. Definitely we haven’t heard before, but Dirge Within knows how to deliver this brand of metal with enough tenacity and passion to produce something worth listening to. With many of these tunes sticking faithfully to the scream/croon/scream vocal blueprint and formulaic structures, There Will Be Blood isn’t going to attract much attention from those who aren’t metalcore loyalists, but even the casual fan should be able to appreciate tunes as well-written and energetic as “A.L.F,” “As We Prey” and “Murder … Salvation.” Closer “Apathy” teases us with a twist of melodic post-hardcore and piano to proudly serve as the album’s black sheep. This song is a great remedy to the Five Finger Death Punch-inspired “Memories,” which would have benefited this disc greatly with its absence. All in all, There Will Be Blood is a concrete album that, while far from being ranked as a classic, is even farther from horrible. – Ryan Ogle
