Your Demise - The Golden Age Album Review
In the words of the band themselves, The Golden Age is coming, and there’s nothing you can do.
rating: 5
Facebook: www.facebook.com/yourdemise Release date: 26th March 2012 There wont be many hardcore releases in 2012 that will divide opinion as much as this, the fourth full-length from one of the biggest bands in UK hardcore, Your Demise. Following the introduction of new lead singer Ed McRae in 2009 (who incidentally, has now been in the band for roughly the same amount of time as the original frontman), many of the bands fanbase took to the internet to cry about the death of the band before hed even sang a note, and God forbid them including clean choruses on 2010s fantastic The Kids We Used To Be. If youre one of these keyboard warriors who believe every move a band make should be tailor made to exactly what you want to hear, this review definitely isnt for you. On The Golden Age, Your Demise have landed on their sound perfectly, and if you choose to bitch and moan on the internet that it doesnt sound exactly the same as they used to, well frankly, its your loss, and youre missing out on one of the best hardcore albums youll find this year. The first thing you should know about this album is that it is a lot of fun. McRae is clearly having the time of his life, and the cries of YOUR DEMIIIIIIIIIISE 2012 BITCH in opening track The Golden Age act as both a statement of intent and a bit of a laugh, with the bands collective tongue firmly placed in their cheek. The first impression many people got of this album was its first single Forget About Me, a track so catchy it will penetrate your ears and refuse to leave for weeks. The clean vocals were the main point of contention for the bands fanbase, with cries of sellout coming from all angles. There is a case to be made that McRaes singing voice isnt the strongest in the world, but it is raw and unpolished, which suits the music far more than a pitch-perfect frontman would. One of the main strengths of this album is how memorable it is, it is far catchier than a hardcore album should be, but the chorus hooks and refrains arent forced in any way, they feel like they belong and instantly benefit the songs because of it. http://youtu.be/QIapvy0AJag Each track feels different, which is another real rarity for hardcore music. From the pure pop-punk of These Lights to the straight-up pummelling hardcore of Born A Snake, Your Demise have managed to be innovative in an often rigid genre. The diversity is aided by the amount of guest vocalists on the record, ranging from Evaroses Dannika Webber giving Paper Trails a huge ending with her soaring voice (female vocals on a hardcore record? But thats not HXC! be quiet internet) to Josh Franceschi lending his powerful vocal chords to A Decade Drifting which helps position it as one of the best tracks on the album (female singers AND YOU ME AT SIX?!). The band have said that these singers werent picked for any particular roles, they are just friends of the band who wanted to help out, and each of them add their own unique style to the tracks they guest on. The strongest star turn is by far that of Jason Butler from 2011s breakout kings Letlive., whose soulful vocals and punishing screams at the end of Im (Not) The One dominate the track, and just help to display how he is the most talented all round singer in hardcore music today. I cant pinpoint any one thing wrong with this album, it really is a great selection of hardcore punk rock songs. Never A Dull Moment (somewhat ironically) is probably the only weak link, with its pop-punk vibes and gang vocals sounding like a sort of watered down Four Year Strong or A Day To Remember, but this is more than made up by the strength of the rest of the album, and is only me nitpicking in an attempt to find something I dislike in the interests of fairness. If you dont buy this album based on your preconceptions of Your Demise, youre an idiot. If you choose not to listen to a single track but still complain about the change of direction on the internet, youre an idiot. This is a fantastic album where Your Demise have really found their niche, and if theyve lost a few fans on the way, its only helped to make them a stronger band and they are bound to make far more fans to replace them. Haters, pay attention. In the words of the band themselves, The Golden Age is coming, and theres nothing you can do.