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Annalynn - Stare Down the Undefeated
'Stare Down the Undefeated' is the second studio album by metalcore band Annalynn. Has there ever been an album that you've felt inclined to listen to only because of the album art? That happened to me with this album. Not only do I love owls, but the dramatic feel of the artwork with the owl getting ready to snatch it's prey and the moon shining above just really made an impact on me. I just think it's a really cool album cover. So, the important question is: Does the music hold up to the cover art?
The music featured here is what I'd call an atmospheric type of metalcore. The opening title track begins with melodic, almost black metal-esque, guitar work before crushing riffing comes in after a breakdown. The next song, 'Cold Shelter', is easily my favorite on the album. It has a perfect mix of melodic guitar playing and crushing riffs. The transitions from the chugging guitar to the melodic passages is performed very well, and flows really nicely. The end of the song has what I think to be the best part of the entire album. It has crushing riffs being played underneath a menacing lead that I find difficult to explain just how great this sounds. 'The Signal Flares' is another one of my favorites, with awesome groove-leaning riffing, vibratos, and a nice solo reminiscent of some of Arch Enemy's guitar solos.
The rest of the songs are more or less similar. There aren't any bad songs on the album, but other then the three songs I mentioned, the rest of the songs don't really stand out too much. Vocally, unlike in most melodic metalcore, there are only death vocals. However, like in melodic death metal, the death vocals fit perfectly fine with the sound.
Overall, I'd say the music does hold up to the cover for the most part. There are some really amazing songs on here, and those songs really fit well while imagining the album cover in your head. The music is aggressive, melodic, and I highly recommend it to any fan of metalcore. Hope you found this review helpful.
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