After three albums of solid yet unspectacular post-hardcore, this Arizonan quintet have now joined the seemingly endless horde of bands covering their sound in swathes of electronic beats and textures.
The new approach certainly packs a punch, with the contrasting full-throttle assault of the riffs and softer chorus coming together seamlessly on the explosive Exodus and You Wear A Crown But You’re No King, while the clinical, atypical rhythms of the title track are given an extra dimension.
However, adding scratches and tinkling doesn’t mean Blessthefall have revolutionised their sound, and once you strip away the new elements the band are left with the same metalcore-by-numbers that has failed to set them apart from the rest of the pack.
Youngbloods boasts little more than the same breakdowns heard countless times before, while the stripped-down electronica of Buried These Walls sees them repeating the same tepid mistakes as Linkin Park. Beau Bokan’s clean vocals that herald every chorus halt any momentum built beforehand, with few leaving any lasting impression.
