Band: My Ransomed Soul
Album: Trilateral
Label: Unsigned
Release: 2.24.15
Reviewer: Brody B
Tracklisting:
- Rise
- Mockingbird
- Revolt
- Rehab
- Monarch
- Trilateral
- Apparitions
- Reflections
- Inundate
- Revive
My Ransomed Soul is a band I have grown up with. Not just listening to the band, but literally growing up with the members of the band. You see, My Ransomed Soul is a metalcore outfit based out of the Northern Maryland area and being from Southern Pennsylvania myself, I have seen the band countless times over the years. As I have grown up and refined my taste of music more over the years, the band has also refined their sound and come into a sound of their own.
I remember seeing My Ransomed Soul play in Baltimore after not seeing them for several years, thinking they had disbanded. However, that was not the case, as the band had just released their first full length, The Chains That Bind Us. MRS put on a good show, as they had seemed to beef up their sound a bit since seeing them last. Regretfully, the group fell off my radar once again after that show.
Now, three years later, My Ransomed Soul has unleashed their third full length album, Trilateral. This album shows immense growth from the group, along with an unharnessed potential for continued growth. In short, this is the album that won’t let me forget about My Ransomed Soul anytime soon.
After the brief intro, “Rise”, the album opener “Mockingbird” boldly storms the gates with technical riffage, meaty drums, and confrontational lyrics. Guitarists find the perfect balance of melody and a brutal barrage of chugging, which adds a fullness to the sound. Freddy Menjivar shows some serious chops behind the drum kit as well with wickedly pummeling beats. Vocalist Brendan Frey makes his presence known on Mockingbird, as he fervently howls lines like,
“Obey, fall in line / Become a product of the corporate mind / Submit, always comply / Become content with being blind / They will teach you not to question / They will teach you not to feel / They will force their discretion”.
“Rehab” is sure to be a fan favorite in both live and recorded settings as it is brimming with unbridled energy. The track has more melodic tendencies than some of it’s counterparts on the album, yet My Ransomed Soul never succumb to the trendy trap of throwing in clean vocals. Instead, the group leans heavily on the guitarists to lay down an intricate foundation of leads to create a soundscape of soaring proportions.
The group’s lead single off Trilateral is the track, “Monarch”. Initially, the single caused quite a stir in the music scene as the band blatantly opposes the oppression of governmental systems. With a message so bold, the band had quite a task to create a soundtrack to revolt, which they accomplish with ease. Slick riffs and dive bombs lay the foundation for the guitar section, while frantic and forceful drums create the beat to this revolution. Frey adds the icing to the cake as he bellows lines like, “This is brainwashing at its finest” and “When did love become an institution?” in his signature register.
“Apparitions” is my personal favorite offering from Trilateral. This jam carries melodic undertones throughout the whole track, which give it a different tone from the sheer brutality of it’s predecessor, “Monarch”. The pleasantly surprising guitar solo found in the last third of “Reflections” is also an incredible touch of melody in an otherwise devastatingly brutal album.
“Revive” is a stellar closer to the great album. The conclusion of the album finds each member firing on all cylinders. The track finds Frey conversing with God, asking, “If You are real, and You are here, What is left for me to fear?”. The highlight of the track comes in the last few seconds, in the form of a raucous riff with southern flare that ends all too soon.
Overall: My Ransomed Soul are a group I have seen grow up and, in a sense, grown up with. These Maryland natives have unleashed one heck of a record with Trilateral, which is sure to keep them on my radar and get them onto the radar of any fan of metalcore. While I believe the group still has some maturing to do, the potential is there for them to emerge as something huge in due time with a sound that is truly unique and their own.
RIYL: For Today | Texas in July | Nothing Til Blood | Darkness Divided | I the Breather