Review Summary: A solid album that can be regarded as a little gem on the dusty shelves of emo music.
The genre of emo holds host to a variety of very talented bands. No, I'm not talking about all those faux-pas emo bands that are more along the lines of post-hardcore or even pop punk (My Chemical Romance and Taking Back Sunday are two examples I can think of) but the bands that pour all their emotion into the music they create, often choosing to write very personal lyrics that are delivered in a deeply passionate matter.
On the Might of Princes were relatively unknown to me until I happened to stumble across them on a YouTube playlist, Put simply, I was
captivated - the excellent song structures, the fragile, delicate melodies that littered certain passages in songs. One great example of this is the ending of [i]And the Hat Stays on[/I[. But most of all, I was very pleased to hear some wonderful vocals. The dichotomy of sung vocals and screams works incredibly well.
The instrumentation is of a very good standard throughout the album. The guitars switch between octaves/chords and as previously mentioned, some wonderful melodies. The standout melody for me comes in the albums opener
The Water Vs. the Anchor - it just sounds perfect, especially in conjunction with the softly sung vocals. The production of the album is very lo-fi, yet I feel it gives the album and the ten songs on offer character.
Old Wives Tales begins with a superbly arranged clean section before launching into a manic, almost [b]Orchid[[b] like section. Perhaps not as speedy but the influence definitely shines through. The pretty melodies work so well with the gentle wails from the vocalist. The drummer is competent and throws in a number of nifty fills here and there to glue things together. The bass is of a good standard too - lines are clear during the cleaner sections and the heavier more spastic parts benefit from the low end.
Acoustic guitar opens up
Allusion to Italy. The mood of the song is tender and heartfelt - the singing has a lot of charisma behind it. Overall, the band are not the most technical but the instruments do hold up and provide some very pleasant instrumentation throughout the album. However, the album does suffer from a few negative aspects. One of the main things that does bug me is that whilst all the songs sound original and can be differentiated between one another, they tend to use similar melodies and chords in the guitars. Another thing that may put people off is that the clean vocals are like marmite - you'll either love them or despise them. Personally, I enjoy them - they aren't too whiny and they are passionate and heartfelt. Song lengths are also a little longer than your typical emo record. But I'm sure that isn't so much a negative as the songs keep your interest for their duration.
In conclusion, this album is a little gem hidden away on the dark and dusty shelves of emo. If you like any kind of emo music, I would recommend these guys. Their instrumentation is tight, the vocals are passionate and whilst the production is lo-fi, it suits the mood and atmosphere of the album perfectly. Album closer
For Meg is utterly captivating and simply builds and builds into a huge crescendo of crashing guitars and ferociously screamed vocals. What a great way to end things in my opinion. The whole album is solid and well worth a listen if you are a fan of
Orchid,
Saetia and the like. I'm glad I stumbled across these guys - it is just a damn shame that they disbanded.
Recommended Tracks
The Water Vs. The Anchor
Hell or High Water
For Meg
