Touche Amore - Is Survived By (2013)

Punk and hardcore haven't really swayed me as much as others but I do enjoy it from time to time. This album is probably one I'll be turning to when I'm in the mood for simple hardcore that eschews the intensity of bands like Converge and Dillinger Escape Plan for something a lot closer to mainstream rock. It's far from revolutionary, but it seems to get the job done as far as accomplishing its modest goals. That said, I think some more variation could have really improved it. There are some unique, more laid-back songs such as "Non-Fiction" but there's really note enough variety to keep my interest throughout. Ditto on the vocals. They're very monotone and, as controversial as this might sound, the singer probably should have added some clean singing to spice things up. Aside from these criticisms, it's a decent album that should appeal to most fans of punk and hardcore.

7.5/10