Review Summary: The Flood proved that Austin Carlile wouldn't just ride the successful wave that the self-titled record received and take advantage of the second chance, but instead further improve with his new project.
Until 2010, most of the musical community absolutely hated Austin Carlile, and for good reason. Carlile formed the monstrosity that was Attack! Attack! and “synthcore”, one of the only genres more maligned then nu-metal. However, with the release of his new band’s self-titled freshman record, the population changed. It split, because due to his talented work with
Of Mice & Men, now some hated him, and some actually liked him. With Of Mice And Men, Carlile proved he could successfully mature from immature lyrics, autotuned cleans, and cheesy synth breakdowns to heavy, enjoyable post-hardcore that even the most casual listener could pick up. However, though the self-titled was a success, there was a healthy fear in the air after its release. Would Of Mice & Men improve for their next release, or regress in quality and become as hated as AA? Well, they actually improved.
In comparison to the previous record,
The Flood is a darker and heavier affair. The guitars are tuned lower, Austin has abandoned his trademark, Hranica-esque shrieks for a delivery closer to Jake Lhurs (ABR) or later-era Spencer Chamberlain (Underoath), and yes, the breakdowns are heavier. In addition to these changes, clean vocalist/guitarist Shayley Bourget doesn’t have as strong of a role this time around, as he only appears on a few songs. However, Mr. Bourget is a highlight of the group, and is unique due to the fact that he doesn’t rely on autotune or annoyingly high-pitched vocals for his delivery. This allows him to connect to the listener much more, because it feels less fake. As for the guitar work, both Shayley and Phil Manasala have slightly improved: Shayley mainly resides on the lowest three strings, yes, but crafts punchy and energetic riffs throughout the majority of the record. Phil experiments with these riffs, but also emphasizes tremolo picking, a technique he didn’t use on the self-titled. Drummer Valentino Arteaga rocks the kit, and is easily one of the strongest and more advanced players in the genre. The bassist still just blends in the background with Arteaga, and there unfortunately isn’t much to say about him.
“O.G. Loko” is a major standout for multiple reasons, the primary one being Shayley’s stunning performance in the chorus. However, there’s a raging breakdown that’s comparable to a roaring tempest. The breakdown continues to build suspense the whole song, as it doesn’t quite reach its bruising climax till the end. “Ben Threw” has enjoyable riffing and a surprisingly intense vocal performance, as well as fitting interplay between Shayley and Austin that sounds similar to the vocals found on “Second And Sebring”. Speaking of “Second and Sebring”, those who enjoyed Bourget’s superb performance on that song will enjoy the intro and the chorus to “Let Live”, as Shayley’s passionate, soothing cries surpass any other performance on
The Flood. “Still YDG’N” is a fitting sequel to its strong predecessor, as the guitar riffs are superb and the screaming is beautifully intense. “The Great Hendowski” is a standout due to the audible bass in the verses, and “When You Can’t Sleep At Night” is a beautiful ballad that relies only on Bourget’s crooning and acoustic guitar picking.
The two strongest parts of OM&M thankfully improved instead of regressing on
The Flood, and both Austin and Shayley were the best parts of the album. The additional experimentation with the guitar and always-strong performance on drums was much appreciated as well, though Jaxin still could’ve performed better on the bass. The only other knocks the album gets are that it’s still somewhat generic, and tends to drag on, especially towards the end (songs like “Ohioisonfire” and “I’m A Monster” don’t feel necessary). However, this is a whole other animal from its predecessor.
Lyrically, the best way to describe TF is confrontational. “O.G. Loko” and “Still YDG’N” rage against the world as a whole, while the gripes about an unfaithful lover in “Let Live” feel wholly more personal. “I’m A Monster” is also personal, and rages against the inner demons we all face, while “When You Can’t Sleep At Night” is a love song about comforting a partner who’s been hurt. Though Of Mice & Men do sprint over trodden bases, they manage to avoid totally fading into lyrical limbo.
If
Of Mice And Men proved that Austin didn’t crap up everything he touched, then
The Flood solidified that he had finally matured as a musician, and wanted to move past fraternity party-lyrics about girls and college. In addition, the rest of the group further proved that they wouldn’t just be the Austin Carlile show, which is largely what Attack! Attack! was. Even if the self-titled wasn’t your thing, it’s a safe bet you’ll be refreshed with this
Flood.
