When new trends pop up in Metal, I feel like we can face them with two different outlooks: we can receive it with open arms and absorb it with all, and risk becoming too obsessed with a particular sound, letting it over-saturate the Metal genre. Or, we have the wiser position, sorting through the bands and choosing which ones will survive the musical flood. One band streaming through one of these floods is the Swedish quintet, ADEPT. The band is doing good work with their fourth album, "Sleepless", though we need to listen closely to get the most out of it.

So what do they play? Metalcore, the genre that sweeps up many bands in the previously mentioned musical tsunami. ADEPT has good technique and sound with the classic Metalcore mix between brutality and aggressiveness with clean and tender melodies. But, as good as they are, they have nothing that really holds your attention. They are not bad, but they aren't much different from the other bands in the Metalcore genre. ADEPT stands too much in the middle of the genre without many dynamic elements, and that can be truly dangerous. I say that because in Metal, it's a case of do or die, to kill or to be killed, to become great or forever remain in third place. Those bands whose sounds stay static are usually forgotten as time passes.

They do a really good production on "Sleepless", the sound quality is near perfection, the production does well in blending the aggressive and melodic elements of their music. It's heavy and abrasive, but clean. We can definitely tell the quintet has potential, but unfortunately, during their 10 songs, their efforts are barely enough to stay ahead of many bands in the genre. Some of the better tracks include "Black Veins" and its thunderous work on bass and drums and "Dark Clouds", which features some great guitar work. The fast and charged "Carry the Weight" highlights some good work on vocals, and the dense aggressiveness of "Down and Out" which does a lot to show the band's potential due the song's melodic and introspective moments. The same can be said for the track "Lights" and its impressive drum work, and the tender and experimental sound of the track "Sleepless" is proof that they can do better than we initially hear. Be a bit more, guys, and I believe that you can become one of the greats!