Salvation For Me is a Russian metalcore band. Much like when the UK reappropriated American blues (another tired genre at the time) to create a new wave of bands like The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin, other countries around the world seem to be taking what we started with metalcore and making it fresh once more. As the candle continues to flicker out for once pivotal groups like Killswitch Engage and All That Remains, groups like Salvation For Me are using the remaining flame to light their own torch. And it's burning brighter than ever on Keep.
Now I won't go so far as to say that this album is something brand new. Keep is very much a djenty metalcore album in the style that we know and (at least for me) love. I'm simply stating that this is another group that takes the formula to the heights that groups in the early 2000's used to. Perhaps the old generation here lacks the necessary youthful angst, and the new generation is more interested in guy-liner and hair gel then playing something that deserves to have "metal" as any part of its genre tag, In any case. Salvation For Me fall right where is needed on the spectrum. The songs are heavy, the scene crap is kept to a minimum, and damn these guys can play.
Speaking of which, the riffs on this album are amazingly fun and they never seem to stop. "As the Ones," "Crimson Dawning," and "EGO," just to name a few, all feature hooks that are insanely catchy while also maintaining quality control in terms of speed, technicality, and differentiation. And the union of the chugging chords, earworm tremolos, and gang vocals on "Humanity" are certainly bound to get most people on their feet. The production is crisp, but not overly compressed. This helps the drums really pop, and also allows the band to engage in some more modern touches like vocal glitches and other electronic flourishes a la Periphery and Born of Osiris. And the vocals? A perfect union of Architects-ish gritty post-hardcore and deathcore-depth growls. На здоровье!
Seriously fabulous stuff here. If you are in need of a really fun album to follow up Periphery III, this was the first one to really catch my attention. I always try to keep abreast of the latest in this genre, which is no easy task these days. I would say I only get a handful of solid metalcore releases each year, which is all the more reason it is important that Keep earns a place firmly in my palm. Salvation For Me hit all of the important benchmarks, and they hit them hard. Engaging, varied vocals, monster riffage, powerful and infectious drumming, and careful attention to production and mixing all make this an album that deserves plenty of attention from the droves currently wasting their money on tired, old mainstays. Not all of our heroes are dead, but there is certainly room for Nightwing in this room of discount Batmen.