Reviewed by Jonathan Langley

The line between metal and hardcore becomes increasingly blurred with every Solid State release. This album, for instance, from 2005, when Haste The Day still featured Jimmy Ryan (before he was replaced by Stephen Keech), is a prime example. Certainly the sound is pared down from the solo-heavy excesses and symphonic pretensions of so much contemporary heavy metal, but the growl-scream vocals, common to both genres, here sound closer to black metal swords-and-sorcery goblinry than the no-frills aggression of hardcore. The guitars, too, straddle the chunky, muscular bursts of one and the biker-friendly flourishes of the other. Occasional moments of (admittedly fairly weak) clean vocals and singalong-friendly refrains put this release on the more contemporary side of the continuum, but also highlight a certain lack of originality in these 12 thrashy gallops through lyrics about angst, girls, temptation and Jesus' grace. You have heard all of this before and you have heard it more remarkably done.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.