Review Summary: Emmure lacks everything needed to create a good album, or at that even a good band.
When a band first merges onto the scene in any genre close to deathcore or metalcore, they are almost automatically assumed to be just chug chug guitars with guttural vocals and pointless breakdowns. Many bands prove people wrong at this statement, but Emmure takes what makes deathcore bands reptitive and boring, and puts it into their latest release "Felony".
After purchasing Emmure's latest release, "Felony", a sticker on the front of the album claimed that Emmure is "The worlds heaviest band". There was nothing under about who had said that or who even thought that, but they were wrong. In fact, the best way to decribe "Felony" is that it's filled with over used lyrics, pointless breakdowns and almost no creativity. It's a mosh album, bent mainly to be played live so people could beat the life out of others. Usually, an album like this could feature one or two stand out moments, but this album just rips off what so many other bands have done and then try's to claim it for themselves. I didnt enjoy any of Emmure's previous releases so I dont know what made me think I'd enjoy this, but I didnt. Every track on this album feels re-used over and over again. In an interview with the vocalist, Frank said "every track on the album is new and inventive in our own way, and we still have hundred's of ideas bottled up which we want to use on another record". If Emmure continues in this path, they will have no hope for their future, neither will they change anything in the deathcore genre.
After the album's first track 'Sunday Bacon', which begins with a very basic drum beat, I found myself concerned over which direction the band was taking this album to. Since the title of the album is "Felony", the story takes place over a period of time and what happens in the life of a felony. Well, most of the lyrics on this CD attempt to be "brutal", talking about shooting someone or beating the *** out of them, Emmure tries to put on a tough guy act. 'I Thought You Met Telly and Turned Me Into Casper' is a graphic story of someone getting a girl pregnant, "I want you cumming inside me" repeats in the background from a female voice. Vocalist Frankie Palmeri does nothing different then he's done on previous efforts, except he sports more of a rap style in most of the songs then ever before. "Felony" was one of the singles released before the album. Starting off with a rap type vocal intro, this song has the most potential on the album. It's fast and dangerous, a pure adrenaline based song.
'The Philosophy of Time Travel' reminds me alot of '... And Then She Bled' off Suicide Silence's new album. With a whispering track in the background of pointless guitar strums and more, it's a completely useless, pointless center track. 'First Impressions' opens with what the band believes is a good guitar riff, but yet again it's been heard so many times. Also the bass seems to be used alot more noticeably in this song as well. So when it comes to Emmure being "different" or "stand out" in this album, theyre completely wrong. If a band wants to make brutal music, write your own lyrics, invent good breakdowns and actually try to make music worth listening. This album feels very rushed and it doesnt seem like the band tried at all to create their own sound, but to just follow every band in the deathcore genre. It's dissapointing, but Emmure isnt worth a listen anymore, theyre tired and dying, just like their genre.
