SINCE THE DAY

Here's another disc from a German metalcore outfit that was released in Europe by Germany's Bastardized Recordings and now sees a Stateside release through Tribunal. Echoing the feeling I got from SIX REASONS TO KILL's "Reborn", SINCE THE DAY's latest is a solid album that shows a band with potential, even though in the end I was left wanting.

The strength of "El Mensajero No Es Importante" (translated means "the messenger is not important") is in the varied and interesting chord progressions. The utilization of black metal style melodic runs and riffs that never remain in chug mode for very long, often going off into emotionally stirring sections, keep the album from sounding run-of-the-mill. The guitar solos used in a couple of spots are well-timed and welcome, an indication of a band that understands what an arrangement needs and how to satisfy that need in the most convincing manner. A mix that thickened the riffs would have given the guitars a much bigger bite — maybe on the next album. As for the song selection, outside of the weepy, borderline emo, and rather awkward closer "Mascara Eyes", there are no bad tunes, the eight remaining tracks seemingly possessing all the necessary ingredients, but for whatever reason not permanently hooking the listener. The songs that use clean (though not wimpy) vocal sections (i.e. "Lunar Eclipse" and "From Day to Day") are well done, if not wholly effective, while the cliché spoken bits do not add much to the overall delivery. Vocalist Daniel has a thin, hoarse-throat growl that gets better after repeat listens, but still leaves me with the feeling that a tougher delivery would help the songs a great deal.

Reviews like this one are always a bit troubling to me, as I would like to rate the album higher, given that the band has a lot going for it. The problem is one of overall feeling and a sense that the pieces haven't yet fallen firmly into place. Let's just say that "El Mensajero No Es Importante" is an album worth looking into and that SINCE THE DAY is a band to watch. Just try to check out some MP3s first.