I just saw a few days back “Through the Never” and listening the opening track of the third full-length studio abum by Of Mice & Men I realized that not one of these metal bands would sound the same if the Danish-born drummer Lars Ulrich and guitarist James Hetfield wouldn’t met in late 1981 after Ulrich placed an advertisement in a Los Angeles newspaper called The Recycler. Well, the second name which came in my mind was obviously Pantera. Without the contorted and twisted off riffs of Dimebag Darrell most of these new metal(core) bands would still riffing like Tony Iommi or like Dave Murray and Adrian Smith. And there’s nothing wrong riffing like that actually. 🙂
Although I’m not particularly excited about this new wave of so-called metalcore bands, Of Mice & Men is definitively one of the leading bands of the new generation and I liked their sound and style right from the beginning. With – or maybe because – of this Metallica/Pantera parallels, but also because they managed to re-assemble this classic influences into a new type of sound and approach. And “Restoring Force” it’s a banging throughout album filled up with fabulous riffs and grinding to the ground songs.
I like the abrasive sound, the raw and pure energy, the healthy aggression and the weight of these songs and this album. They do not reinvent the steel, but deliver it straight in your face and managed to put all that anger and energy into some good and efficient songs.
My personal favorites are the blunt ones like “Public Service Announcement”, “Bones Exposed” or “You Make Me Sick”, but I actually really enjoyed the whole album throughout.
“You’re Not Alone” was the first song to be released from the album, premiering on December 1, 2013, followed by “Bones Exposed” which premiered on December 23, 2013.
The name “Restoring Force” is a reference to their previous album “The Flood”. Frontman Austin Carlile explained “What happens after a disaster? What happens after ‘The Flood’? You return to normal. You find balance again. That’s what we felt like we were doing with this album. We wanted this record to bring equilibrium back to our band and music. We’re letting everyone know what we’re here to stay. We’re ‘Restoring Force.’”. The cover of the album, of which is a sea shell is also a probable reference to the previous album.
“Restoring Force” is produced by David Bendeth, who has produced albums for bands such as Breaking Benjamin, Paramore, Papa Roach, Bring Me the Horizon, and A Day to Remember.
The album is set to be released today, January 28, 2014 through Rise Records and after the release, the band will embark on a two month tour with Bring Me the Horizon.
Buy it or steal it!!
Tracklist:
01. Public Service Announcement
02. Feels Like Forever
03. Bones Exposed
04. Would You Still Be There
05. Glass Hearts
06. Another You
07. Break Free
08. You Make Me Sick
09. Identity Disorder
10. You’re Not Alone
11. Space Enough To Grow
Austin Carlile – Vocals
Aaron Pauley – Bass/Vocals
Valentino Arteaga – Drums
Philip Manansala – Guitar
Alan Ashby – Guitar
Of Mice & Men – Official Site
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