LEFT BEHIND released its third full length album, "No One Goes to Heaven," in 2019. LEFT BEHIND is considered Metalcore and in many ways typifies the genre. The album takes on a slow but heavy tempo that's consistent through most songs. It is then the exceptions that make the album interesting. "Throwing Stones," the best song on the album, picks up the pace. The lyrics create a mood of hopelessness and suffering, and aren't particularly interesting. It's the music that draws in the listener and doesn't let go. With a heavy beat, and thrashing guitar, it is melodic and dark.

Another song with a strong melody and a quicker pace is "Peeling Wax." This song, about no one going to heaven, opens with a great beat and a squealing guitar, but then gives way to a haunting refrain. At the end of the song, it slows down but keeps the head banging energy as it emphasizes the heavy beat.  At the other end of the spectrum, with a slow song, "God Calls Out" likewise brings a musicality to the album that is otherwise missing. About regret, the music is often messy but comes together to create a great song. The growling vocals, present throughout the album, seem more powerful, effective and fitting.

"Left Behind" lyrics are often simple and direct. In most instances, this results in stunning and earnest insights into the human experience. In "What Makes You Hurt," the narrator says "This shit is ugly/ this shit hurts/ And I'm ugly/ And I hurt."  The lines are simple, short, and repetitive but it is within that simplicity and repetition that the lyrics take on their power. Occasionally this same simple, direct style comes across as cliché, as in "Throwing Stones," when the narrator says, "Sometimes I miss the burn/ Sometimes I miss the hurt/ Because then I knew it couldn't get any worse."  More often, however, the style consistency packs the intended punch.

The songs all sound alike with the exceptions described above. While most songs lack a unique melody, they often feature unique endings, hooks and bridges that take the band somewhere worth listening to. Again, it is when the band diverges from its set course, that great music happens. "No One Goes to Heaven" is not the most exciting album you'll hear this year, but it is consistent and steady, with a few great songs.