Band: Chapter 14
Title: Like Trees In November
Label: n/a
Release Date: November 30, 2010
Review by: Steve
Track Listing:
1. Winter
2. Roses
3. The Wizard of Gods
4. Acts Aside From Action
5. Moth And Rust
As I end my reviews for 2010, I couldn’t have ended 2010 with a more interesting Album/EP if I had planned it out in advance. As many of you know, 2010 saw the end of Destroy the Runner, but we also saw the advancement of Chapter 14. Chapter 14 has actually been in existence for a while and not just after DtR. Chapter 14 is a slick duo of Chad Ackerman (vocalist of Destroy the Runner) and the multi-talented Tanner Sparks (DtR guitars). This EP has really grown on me the past few weeks. Unlike most albums where I don’t really care for it initially, but then like it with more listens, I liked Like Trees In November from the start but my rating of the album has steadily increased with each listen.
Before I get into my description of the EP, I should start off with a disclaimer. If you are expecting a sound similar to DtR’s Saints, then you might be sorely disappointed. There is more of Chad singing on the EP than screaming, but please don’t let that deter you from checking them out. It is somewhat hard nailing down Chapter 14 to a specific genre/sub-genre. They are a little all over the place with this EP, but to me that is what I really like about this EP. You might call parts melodic metalcore, others post-hardcore, and still others catchy, mainstream rock.
The opening track, “Winter,” probably has more screaming than the rest of the EP, and it does a good job of starting the EP off with a good tempo that does not let down the rest of the EP. Vocally, this is some of Chad’s best work. Yes, I would have liked to have Chad scream a lot more than he does, but there is no denying the quality of his pipes! This dude can sing and scream! Like Trees In November has sprinkles of screaming throughout, but most of the EP is singing. One of my favorite tracks on the EP is “The Wizard of Gods” because of the lyrics. The track’s lyrics talk about temptation and the evils that come along with it. Musically, I can’t leave out Tanner. He does a fantastic job on the EP. The EP is very technical, and I would naturally expect some part of the music to not be that great since the same guy tracked the drums, guitars, and bass, but they are very good on every track.
Overall: this is a great debut EP. Do yourself a favor and go check out Chapter 14. The songs vary in heaviness but are all have metalcore influences, and because of this, Chapter 14 has a little bit of everything for all types of music fans.
