Hell Within – Shadows of Vanity
Life Force Records – LFR070-2 – May 15th, 2007
By Jack Deming
Hell Within is fairly straightforward, paint by numbers metalcore in regard to the highly formulaic song structures specific to the genre, as well as the pseudo angst ridden lyrical content fit to cause ones eyes to roll into the back of their head permanently. However, the very first thing I noticed after popping in their third effort Shadows of Vanity was the uncommonly good instrumental skill and musicianship exhibited by the band. While the song structures are no different than those of the countless other metalcore acts being churned out these days, from the very beginning of the album the impressive technical skill of each member is more than evident, which is a nice thing to see in a metalcore band. With the help of very professional production, Hell Within emits an awesome, ballsy tone that crushes the ears like a steamroller. The first track, ‘Shadows of Vanity’, opens with a galloping riff played in rhythmic unison by the guitars and drums, and it’s all quite nice and rocking until Hell Within’s vocalist takes a deep breath and shrinks the band’s collective testicles to tiny seedlets. Sounding vaguely Linkin Park-ish and just flat out annoying, this man’s vocals wipe out the good vibes that the band gets going at the beginning of each song. While his growled vocals are decent and fit the music well, they are not featured nearly enough to distract me from his incessant whining of various tired, angsty themes like “just pulling the trigger”, and “having nothing to live for”. Honestly. It really makes one wonder why only lyrics about elves and mystical creatures are those that are considered “cheesy” by the metal community.
I have always tried not to condemn a band due to one weak link in their lineup, but this is always hardest when the member in question is the vocalist. Furthermore, the overall sound and production of Shadows of Vanity are both so strong that they make the vocals seem even more disappointing than they would be if they were featured in a different setting. A weak link is one thing, but it becomes quite another when the rest of the members are so much more skilled that they make him sound more incompetent than he truly is.
Note: Hell Within recently replaced vocalist Matt McChesney with Brian Roy.
Official Hell Within Website
Official Lifeforce Records America Website
Life Force Records – LFR070-2 – May 15th, 2007
By Jack Deming
Hell Within is fairly straightforward, paint by numbers metalcore in regard to the highly formulaic song structures specific to the genre, as well as the pseudo angst ridden lyrical content fit to cause ones eyes to roll into the back of their head permanently. However, the very first thing I noticed after popping in their third effort Shadows of Vanity was the uncommonly good instrumental skill and musicianship exhibited by the band. While the song structures are no different than those of the countless other metalcore acts being churned out these days, from the very beginning of the album the impressive technical skill of each member is more than evident, which is a nice thing to see in a metalcore band. With the help of very professional production, Hell Within emits an awesome, ballsy tone that crushes the ears like a steamroller. The first track, ‘Shadows of Vanity’, opens with a galloping riff played in rhythmic unison by the guitars and drums, and it’s all quite nice and rocking until Hell Within’s vocalist takes a deep breath and shrinks the band’s collective testicles to tiny seedlets. Sounding vaguely Linkin Park-ish and just flat out annoying, this man’s vocals wipe out the good vibes that the band gets going at the beginning of each song. While his growled vocals are decent and fit the music well, they are not featured nearly enough to distract me from his incessant whining of various tired, angsty themes like “just pulling the trigger”, and “having nothing to live for”. Honestly. It really makes one wonder why only lyrics about elves and mystical creatures are those that are considered “cheesy” by the metal community.
I have always tried not to condemn a band due to one weak link in their lineup, but this is always hardest when the member in question is the vocalist. Furthermore, the overall sound and production of Shadows of Vanity are both so strong that they make the vocals seem even more disappointing than they would be if they were featured in a different setting. A weak link is one thing, but it becomes quite another when the rest of the members are so much more skilled that they make him sound more incompetent than he truly is.
Note: Hell Within recently replaced vocalist Matt McChesney with Brian Roy.
Official Hell Within Website
Official Lifeforce Records America Website
