Review Summary: After the Burial manage to write a solid followup to Rareform free of any previous inconsistencies.
After the Burial’s second album
Rareform was one that was overall decent, but nonetheless plagued by inconsistencies. While it had its moments, problems with song structure and production quality managed to drag it down quite a bit. Two years later, the band come out blazing with
In Dreams.
With In Dreams, the band seem to be able to iron out many of the flaws that were apparent in
Rareform, and the end result is a very refined, solid record. The album cover actually reflects the sound that is heard on the album;
In Dreams is a futuristic deathcore record. Scattered throughout the album are keyboard parts that make songs sound sophisticated and clean, but not to the point that it sounds cheesy (i’m looking at you, Winds of Plague).
The album opens with
My Frailty, a beast of a song with chaotic verses and a catchy chorus. Nothing special, just your standard deathcore song. Next is
Your Troubles Will Cease and Fortune Will Smile Upon You. This song is more of the same, if not better. The chorus has a neat little keyboard part that makes this song one of my favourites on the album. Now, I could go on and do a track by track review, but there is not much to say; the songs sound pretty similar. This is far from being bad thing: most of the guitar lines on the album are insanely catchy and will have you bobbing your head to say the least.
Unfortunately, Anthony Notarmaso’s vocal work is only decent. At times, he shows that he has range, going from a high, almost black metal-esque shriek to a hardcore shout, with the occasional death growl in between. But mostly he sticks to his medium hardcore vocals, which you can hear the most throughout the album. Surprisingly, there are cleans in some of the songs, which go well with the chorus guitar lines and vocals.
Though most of the record is defined by these crushing moments, In Dreams seems to shine through mediocrity most during its melodic moments. Beautiful acoustic interludes in
To Carry You Away and
Promises Kept showcase the band at its true potential. The guitar solos are tight and well thought out, though sometimes on the edge of being technical wankery.
With
In Dreams, After the Burial manage to reaffirm themselves at the forefront of modern heavy music, sitting right beside their musical contemporaries Periphery and The Contortionist.
Recommended:
Your Troubles Will Cease and Fortune Will Smile Upon You
To Carry You Away
Promises Kept
Encased In Ice
