Alright, kids. Time for a bit more metalcore today. All you skeezy purists can turn away now, but I still say you're missing out. UK band Napoleon makes some righteous tunes in the vein of The Story So Far, A Day to Remember, and Underoath. I caught a wiff of that tasty progressive riffing on "Different Skin" and knew that I needed more. Sometimes I just need an album to rock out to, an album that makes me feel that same naïve hope I felt in my youth. This is that album.
So draw number one for me, as I already mentioned and is often the case, is the guitarwork. Say what you will about how "heavy" or "metal" the music is (or is not), but never ever argue with the facts: these guys know how to play their instruments. They make it sound so easy, too. Riffs flow onto the fretboard like a ballet of the fingers. Each note is carefully coordinated to produce hooks that are both technically dizzying and wholly uplifting. And their craft is furthered through sparing use of effects to further emphasize texture and mood.
Shifting attention to the vocals, Wez tends to favor cleans for the most part. There are some screams here and there, but the most harsh it gets is sort of a half-sung shout a la Architects. We cover a lot of extreme music here, so my guess is that some may see this as a turn off. Personally though, I don't mind. Sometimes a point is best conveyed via deep, gutteral growls; others a little pop-punk will do. One of my favorite bands currently is Protest The Hero, and if they can pull it off, so can Napoleon. But I'm going off on a tangent here. Whether focusing on their crunchier side with tracks like "Brought Here to Suffer," or going soft with "Maps," the band pulls it off and leaves us with some catchy tunes to boot.
All in all, Newborn Mind is a fun little album that is certain to put you in a good mood. I don't listen to a lot of happy music, but when I do, it's with a band like Napoleon. Their songwriting skills and technical abilities on the drums and guitar help to balance out the guilt I might otherwise feel for getting down with the bubblegum pop elements. And unlike with some of the trendier bands in the genre that I loathe, this album doesn't feel mass-produced or to be pimping an image. Browsing the band's various outlets, I'm not being inundated with stylized band photos that look like modeling shoots. Rather, the focus is the music. And this music stands tall on its own.