All That Remains - Overcome
|
List Price: Our Price: $9.28 You Save: $4.70 (34%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $5.75 (click here) Category: Music CD See more new music releases 
|
|---|
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
Free Music Notes for Overcome
Free Music Review: Guitar playing is phenomenal.
Hit: 5 Stars
I can't believe a big band hasn't picked up Oli Herbert. Amazing guitar player.Free Music Review: Overcome - A solid album with a new producer
Hit: 4 Stars
All That Remains' 2008 release, Overcome, has been much anticipated since The Fall of Ideals from two years prior. Adam Dutkiewicz, who produced the bands first two albums, has been replaced by Jason Suecof of Trivium, Chimaira, and DevilDriver fame. A different formula is sure to breed a new sound, right?
Overcome's lineup is as follows:
Philip Labonte - Vocals
Mike Martin - Guitar
Oli Herbert - Guitar
Jeanne Sagan - Bass
Jason Costa - Drums
As an avid All That Remains fan since their initial debut, I was highly skeptical upon hearing of a new producer for this album. I went into this one cold having not listened to any of the preview tracks that the band posted on their MySpace page months in advance.
As I popped it into my CD player for the first time, my face lit up like Gary Coleman in Toys `R Us. The first track opens with a slow, threatening melody mixed with the standard machine-gun double bass as it fades into an extremely intricate rhythm guitar part. Phil comes in with some noticeably deeper vocals as used in The Weak Willed of 2006s The Fall of Ideals. The chorus kicks in and we experience the new producers first big influence: The cleans.
Phils cleans have transformed into something of a new beast. They're quite a bit lighter and more harmonized than in previous albums. At first glance, they may sound a bit too light for some unforgiving fans of the band. They dance on the line between whiney and wonderful. Thankfully, they never cross that line. The shrill edge that were used to simply isn't there anymore. Fortunately, they're used very sparingly and in excellent moderation. Don't worry, his growls and screams are still as menacing as ever. Cue change number two: the production value.
Right off the bat, you'll notice that the guitars are the dominating force here. The vocals are layered deep within the song so they're not overpowering. The drums and guitars have twice the volume in some tracks which is a breath of fresh air. No longer are we straining our ears to hear that face melting solo or ear splitting double bass. The lead work in this album is as ear piercing as it would be live. Olis pinch harmonics in Overcome could slay a dragon.
Speaking of the lead guitar, Oli must have studied with the best of the best in the past albums two year overlap. If there's anything marginally different in terms of composure, it's the lead guitar. When mixed with the new production formula, the guitar solos in this album are by and large the best in the genre. Unearth, are you taking notes? Certain lead parts in some of the songs will leave you in a dazed and confused state of disarray. Mike Martins rhythm parts are equally as impressive.
Jason Costa is renowned to be a tremendous drummer, and his display in Overcome is certainly no exception. The rabbit feet are in full force here as most songs feature some exceptional double bass. They come through just as thick as the guitar and provide the perfect undertone for an instrument driven album. If you're not banging your head to this match made in heaven, you're either Helen Keller or comatose.
I can't find much to complain about here, as this album rubs me just the right way. The only reason I held back and gave it a four is due to the fact that the album lacks a traditional melodic ballad and Phils newfound vocals may be hard to adapt to (though they aren't present enough to really sway my opinion). Jason Suecof is a welcome addition as far as mixing, production, and song direction goes. Overcome is just a work of art all the way around.
No matter which way you look at it, there is no reason this shouldn't be in your CD rack at home if you're a fan of the band and genre. By the time of the album is over, your ears will be writing you thank-you notes laden with Starbucks giftcards.
Overcome gets a 4/5 from this metalhead.
-Trevor Smith
[via TrevorSmithOnline.com]
Free Music Review: Another solid effort from ATR, but some change as well.
Hit: 4 Stars
Ok, everybody has been comparing this album to The Fall of Ideals, but I personally feel that This Darkened Heart was their best effort and that they sold out a bit with The Fall of Ideals and the clean vocal chorus on almost every song.
I almost turned my nose up at Overcome because of the overwhelming clean vocals, but I realized there is no harm in progressional change. The guitars are, and always have been, a strong point of All That Remains and this CD is no exception. I especially enjoyed the main riff from Two Weeks, which is ironic because it's the song that features the most clean vocals. The vocals are flawless, as always, even though this album does feature the most clean vocals of all 3 mainstream releases of ATR. My favorite chorus on this CD has to be Chiron. Phil Labonte probably has one of the best voices in metal right now, in terms of both range and talent.
I'm giving this album 4 stars because, while I love the melodic turn they have taken, I still yearn for the hardhitting ferocity of This Darkened Heart.
Free Music Review: worried about vocals?
Hit: 4 Stars
Im seeing toooo many reviews about Phils vocals when we're missing a VERY IMPORTANT aspect of this band. The instrumentals on this album are just as good as Fall of Ideals and you people are not realizing this. Yes the band is well known for Phils vocals, but do you think they'd be anywhere without the PHENOMINAL drumming of Shannon Lucas? (Though they have jason costa now) Or the playing of Mike and Oli? You guys are putting WAY too much focus on PART of the band, NOT REMEMBERING THAT TOURING TAKES A TOLL ON SOMEONES VOICE. Listen, im a drummer, and i give vocalists all the respect in the world, and pinpionting them on a subpar album and giving them the blame is BS. Sometimes the vocals cant be as intense as past albums. THE CD IS GOOD, AND THATS THAT.Free Music Review: What's the Deal?
Hit: 4 Stars
Well I listened to this collection of tracks for several weeks now and I must I like them very much. The compositions are strong, the musicianship is excellent throughout, and the sequencing of the tracks is thoughtful. Oli Herbert the guitarist and chief songwriter is an amazing guitarist with superb technique and a real feel for when to drop jaws and when to pull back. Consequently the music comes first. If you like melodic metal you'll dig this collection of tunes, the other reviews that I've seen here seem to revel in the fact that this band has somehow abandoned their roots, don't buy it. Buy the cd, you wont regret it...