Band: Besieged
Title: Atlantis
Label: Blood & Ink
Review By: JoshIVM
Tracklisting:
01. Balkanization
02. The Author
03. Guttersnipe
04. Written Promises
05. A Cold Winter Kiss
06. INRI
07. The Years Between
08. Moustache Pete
09. The Fall Of Man: The Rise Of Self
10. They Shake The Earth
11. Carved In The Walls
12. Atlantis
Members/Duties:
John: Guitar
Tyler: Bass
Mattie: Vocals
Chris: Guitar
Josh: Drums
I had my eye out on Besieged since they were independent and put out their self-released EP. They had an interesting mix of metal vocals with a more melodic metalcore sound. Needless to say I was looking forward to this debut. If I remember correctly the music on the EP had a more metal feel than this album does but it wasn’t a bad change. “Balkinization” starts off with a good build up intro. Sadly, as the vocals kicked they initially turned me off to the song. With the musical approach not being that heavy the vocals feel off. Mattie’s got a throat-tearing vocal and the two just didn’t seem to blend. I felt that a different vocalist might suit the band much better. Someone that has a deeper vocal instead of Mattie’s higher pitched screams or possibly even a more screamo sounding vocalist. The music is really catchy and has some great points throughout the disc. The band ends “Balkanization” on a good breakdown that still maintains a melodious feel while being heavy. Mattie shows off a bit of his deeper vocal here which is a plus as well. “Guttersnipe” is a lighter track but I suppose most of the album isn’t focused on heaviness. Without a doubt they have their parts and they do them well but they aren’t trying to be the fastest, heaviest, or most brutal metal group out there. They write in smart guitar parts which add to the overall flow of the album. This track specifically has a well placed guitar solo which seems at home but could also fit a regular rock song. Also, a nice use of gang vocals is used. Definitely has a hardcore feel. “INRI” is my favorite song both musically & lyrically. Lyrically it deals with the crucifixion of Christ. Musically I feel this song shows off who Besieged is better than the other tracks. It mixes all their styles into the most cohesive song on the disc. The breakdown at a minute and a half is probably the best groove breakdown I’ve heard in awhile and the best on this album. “The Years Between” show off some cool guitar work and give a different feel. It almost reminds me of what Still Remains has done on their new album but less poppy. The band has a good variety of speed and sound on this album but I think overall it can be improved upon. The first is finding a new vocalist of course. Hopefully they find one that fits the music better than Mattie did. Both the band and he are talented but I never thought they were the best fit. Hopefully they will both succeed now that they have parted ways
Overall Rating: The band has potential to put out better records and they got a lower score because of some of the vocal issues. It felt perfect at times and sometimes I couldn’t stand it. A better suited vocalist would have gained them a higher score. The other issue was the recording could have sounded better. I look forward to what this band can do down the road. Hopefully the acquire a new vocalist soon so we can find out.(7.5/10)
Standout Tracks: “INRI”, “Guttersnipe”
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