NODES OF RANVIER

South Dakota's NODES OF RANVIER has been on a steady rise for several years now, each release a better, more refined one, up to and including 2005's "The Years to Come". Though metalcore in general, said album is still closer to the metal side of the line, the band delivering some seriously thrash-inflected riffs and a solid batch of memorable songs. But nothing would have prepared me for what the group has accomplished on "Defined by Struggle", the act's first for Victory and an album that packs one hell of a wallop, putting many discs from veteran acts playing a similar style to shame.

The first attribute noticed is the sheer ferocity of these songs, and I mean every single one of them, even brief opener/intro "Sermon". Driven by a positive, uplifting message and a bone-shattering sound, this is some seriously adrenaline-pumping metal. After the battering ram of "Valjean" comes what is perhaps the disc's best song, "Endless Faith" with its fist-pumping chorus of "welcome oblivion!" and behemoth thrash riffs. Vocalist Kyle Benecke is a beast, barking his guts out like Trevor Phipps (UNEARTH). His vicious shouts of "Battered, broken, but not afraid!" on the title track get the blood boiling, turning the listener from passive bystander to one ready to take on the world.

Like any album of lasting value it is the band's knack for kicking your teeth in with killer riffs and melodic leads (that owe as much to traditional metal as Swedecore) and writing songs that that are immediately memorable. And that includes lyrics with a host of powerful lines. A handful of songs ("Purpose in Pain", "Wrathbearer", and "Sergeant Sorrow") include brief moments of clean, melodic vocals that work as an effective break from Benecke's savage roar and never come off as nauseating 'core crooning. The monster thrash attacks just keep on coming too, as evidenced by the chainsaw riffing on a bruiser called "Confront". Instrumental riff monster "Nagheenanajar" is decent as well. The masterful licks of guitarists Jon Parker and Jake Stefek and the punishing rhythm section of drummer Josh Ferrie and Brady Murphy make for an incredibly violent listening experience, one you'll want to relive time and time again.

Bands like UNEARTH and DARKEST HOUR may get more adoring press coverage for their most recent efforts (and both are very strong releases) but I'll give the nod to "Defined by Struggle" as the best of the group. Just when I get sick and tired of the waves upon waves of metalcore releases, one comes along and knocks me on my ass. "Defined by Struggle" is one of those albums. Welcome to one of the best metalcore releases of 2007. Highly recommended.