Sorrow, The: Misery Escape

The Misery Escape is the fourth album by Austria's The Sorrow, a band that has won not only an Amadeus Award but are also a staple at the major European festivals. Until this month, I had never heard any of their music so I listened to this album with a great deal of interest, curious to know what I'd been missing. I'm sure that some of our regular readers will no doubt have seen these guys live and have a good sense of what they've accomplished so far. I'd love to know more about these guys and, if possible, to catch them on the road sometime. This new album sounds very strong and, according to the promotional materials, represents a "huge step forward" for the band while keeping a firm eye fixed on their past. To my ears, this album sounds like a good representative of the general metalcore sound--at once angry, melodic, driving, passionate, and melancholy. I liked it, but I wasn't convinced that these guys are a standout. In an already crowded field of metalcore bands, The Sorrow may have to do more if they want to endure.

The best thing about this album (and its primary weakness) is its consistency. I really liked the way that every song drew on strong riffs to establish the tone. I also thought that the more melodic passages felt appropriate, instead of just a dramatic cut in the music. Check out "Buried in the Deep" for a good example of this band's ability to blend the hard and the soft. I also liked the sing-along chorus on that track. Other standout tracks included "My Oblivion," "A Thin Red Line," and "Dead Home." I also really liked "Follow the Lights" even though it was too heavy on the more melodic passages. My main complaint about this release is that the songs all draw from the same material, making it, at times, difficult to tell one song from another. I admire the consistency of the performance and the songwriting, but I couldn't help but wonder if this band had more complexity lying in the wings. I really liked "A Thin Red Line" because it was probably the heaviest track and possibly the most complex, but it was the exception, not the rule. I do think, however, that this album will draw new fans and will likely please more established ones.

Track Listing:
1. Retracing Memories
2. The Escape
3. Burial Bridge
4. My Oblivion
5. A Reason
6. Buried in the Deep
7. A Thin Red Line
8. Perspectives
9. Lost Chapters
10. Dead Home
11. Follow the Lights

Added: November 15th 2012
Reviewer: Carl Sederholm
Score:
Related Link: Band Website
Hits: 2190
Language: english

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