Review Summary: All in all, this album is as solid as it comes. There are very few albums that have come out this year that have captivated me as much as this one. Is this the classic I am looking for? Maybe not, but I do know that Evergreen Terrace will be ne
I've really struggled to find a "great" album this year. I love Despised Icon's new album, but it doesn't exactly knock-my-socks-off, Behemoth's "Evangelion" is great, but it follows the same formula as all of their other albums, and Devildriver's "Pray for Villains" I thought was lacking the edge that "Last Kind Words" had. So, now it's October of 2009, and I'm still searching for that classic album. Will it ever arrive?
Alas, here comes Jacksonville hardcore heroes Evergreen Terrace to save the day! "Almost Home" in my eyes, is the album that breaks the boys from Jacksonville away from all the other metalcore acts out there. Easily their best and most polished work, "Almost Home" combines the ferocity you've come to expect from them with beautiful melodies and harmonies, mostly attributed to Craig Chaney.
The album starts off with a bang and never let's up. From the moment the first riff of "Enemy Sex" hits, you know what you are in for. At times, I feel like I'm in the middle of a knockdown-dragout fight between to heavyweights in the ring. But the beautiful thing about Evergreen Terrace is they can blend huge, enormous, brutal breakdowns with such beautiful melody. With tracks like "The Letdown" and "God, Rocky is This Your Face?" you get that ET's leaving behind the melody for straight up hardcore just like on most of "Wolfbikers." Songs like "We're Always Losing Blood" and "Sending Signals" remind you of "Sincerity Is an Easy Disguise in This Business" and "Losing All Hope is Freedom."
The harsh vocals leave a little to be desired, just like Evergreen's previous albums. I find Andrew Carey to be a bit grating at times, but I can hear his voice getting better as the album goes on. His constant dry shrieks are a little rough, but you can almost hear him growling at times on the album. Besides the vocals from Carey, though, the production is very crisp and the musicianship has been stepped up a bit. There's a beautiful solo by Chaney in "Sending Signals" that makes the hair on the back of my neck(I know, disgusting) rise.
