Ah, ALL THAT REMAINS. I've definitely got some fond memories of these guys. The sheer anger and power they brought in "Overcome" and "The Fall of Ideals" helped get me through the rocky teenage years, and I'll be forever grateful for that. This year, I actually saw them live with KILLSWITCH ENGAGE at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom in NH. Being a girl who's about 5'6", I was slightly alarmed to be right at the edge of the mosh pit. And let me tell you, the pit for ATR was absolutely insane, and in my opinion crazier than the pit during KILLSWITCH. It was one of the biggest I've ever seen, save for at festivals, and it was about 100 degrees in the theater. So there I am, thoroughly enjoying the setlist, when suddenly I got kicked in the face by some big guy who decided he would crowdsurf right over me. Long story short, I got a pretty severe bloody nose and a black eye, but I refused to leave. The concert was too good, and I'm no wimp, and plus, bloody noses are brutal. Anyway, moral of the story is that I think ALL THAT REMAINS are pretty kickass. Their newest album, "Madness", has received pretty mixed reviews since its release in April of 2017. I'm aware of the accusations that they're "sellouts", however, I can't say I exactly agree. The band has branched out into a newer, more electronic sound which is more radio-friendly. However, as vocalist Phil Labonte said in an interview with Carolina Rock 105.5, "It's, like, I know I that I can cater to this narrow group of people, and if we don't stray, these people will keep buying our records, these people will keep coming to our shows. Is it a sellout to be, like, 'I'm gonna try something different?'"

The first track, "Safe House", kicks off with blasting drums in the style of a traditional Metalcore song, combined with Labonte's distinctive and quite charismatic vocals. He manages to make his voice into a sort of instrument, the percussive quality his singing takes on matches perfectly with the choppy, precise drumming and guitar riffs here. This song is absolutely a throwback to Melodic Death and early Metalcore, and its best quality is the screaming anger and hostility it introduces. "Madness", the album's title track, takes on the challenge of introducing political topics to the audience. Despite the generalized theme of breaking societal cycles, the chilling and somewhat poignant music video regarding PTSD and suicide makes it clear what the real message is. The song opens with a slightly Industrial/Nu-Metal sounding bass riff before diving into isolated, clean vocals and a melodic chorus filled with passion and power. While this song takes the band in a new musical direction, it still brings the familiar heaviness their fans love while experimenting with electronics and distortion.

In "Nothing I Can Do", the band creates a haunting, ethereal chant which breaks into an explosive chorus about hopelessness and love lost. The quality of Labonte's voice in the verses sounds almost like he's speaking over a radio, which strangely enough unites the song by connecting with the fuzzy distortion guitar during the breakdown. Overall, this song is a solid, albeit a bit typical, Nu-Metal/Metalcore fusion piece which showcases the band's ability to write a catchy hook and crushing breakdown. If I'm honest, "If I'm Honest" was kind of a shock to me. I knew ALL THAT REMAINS were taking their music in a different direction. However, this track sounded nothing like them at all. It opens with a slow acoustic riff, with clean Alt-Rock vocals and a strong central melody. Don't get me wrong, every member of the band is insanely talented and this song is musically flawless and beautiful. However, this song just didn't capture my interest like the rest of the tracks on the album and I honestly think it weakened the album a bit.

However, in "Halo", ATL brought back the heat and Metal power I was looking for. The drumwork in this song is stunning, Costa is a machine, and frankly I don't even know how he manages to achieve the speed and power he does. The strong percussion section provided an unbreakable foundation for this track, and the vocal harmonies wove in and out of the rapid-fire guitar and bass riffs. This song definitely had the depth any good Metal song should have, and I have to say that the breakdown here was one of the best on the album. "Louder" is an artsy, eerie track which opens with an intro of clinking ambient sounds before it rips into an intense Metalcore anthem about inner strength and self-reliance. The juxtaposition between the clean, isolated verses and the blasting choruses is executed perfectly, and the guitar solo here is pretty mindblowing in its speed and technical accuracy. The song itself is catchy enough to be a radio hit, yet heavy enough to appease any metalhead, basically, it's the best of both worlds.

In "Rivercity", Labonte allows the listener a rare glimpse into his personal life. His wife, who was at that time serving in the Marines, would often be cut off from all communications with him for many days at a time. His very real emotions are reflected in his pained shouts of "don't put down the phone," but this track still keeps the integrity of a modern Metal track through chugging guitar riffs and a stunning melodic chorus. "Open Grave" is another one of the songs on this album that sounds more like the "classic" ALL THAT REMAINS. The verses are full of great Metalcore elements like Labonte's harsh growling and the gritty stop-and-go guitar riffs that just serves to accentuate the surprisingly light chorus. The choruses include layered vocals (both clean and guttural) and a rippling melody that takes a lot of influence from early Alt-Metal songs. Let me tell you, ATL knows how to create the perfect balance between raw, pulsing Metal and intricate harmonies in their songs, which is no small feat.

In "Far From Home", the song again opens with a melancholy intro of acoustic guitar riffs and highlights the talent Labonte has for multiple styles of singing. The chorus is definitely the best part of this song. It turns the spotlight on chugging guitar rhythms and a light, almost optimistic Alternative melody. While this is a sweet song about long-distance love and personal struggles, the verses seemed somewhat anticlimactic to me, especially compared to the catchy, powerful chorus. "Trust and Believe" is another song which draws influence from Melodic Death Metal with a mix of traditional Metalcore elements. This track is a heavy one for sure, and does a wonderful job at creating an element of suspense as it builds to an atmospheric chorus which flows effortlessly to combine rippling guitar riffs with relentless drumming and a thumping bass. The shifts in style and rhythm in this track make it one of the most unique, and definitely one of the standout pieces, on this album.

In "Back to You", ATL again take on a vulnerable and intimate tone. While the opposite of their usual explosion of aggression and hostility, this song is genuine and beautiful enough to be one of their most memorable songs. The plucked acoustic guitar here combined with the element of an orchestral background and cinematic vocal melodies creates a heart-wrenching and enrapturing ballad which shows a completely different side of the band. "Never Sorry" started out with promise. It opened with a ringing, clear Industrial beat, however, this one just seemed a bit lackluster and superficial, especially compared to its predecessor. That's not to say it wasn't musically solid. It had a strong Metalcore groove which ran the length of the song, and the solo was impressive in the sheer number of notes Herbert managed to hit.

The last song, "The Thunder Rolls", is a cover of the Garth Brooks song of the same name. Metalheads are notorious for hating Country, and I'm no different. That's why it's so interesting that ALL THAT REMAINS chose to take on one of the most famous Country songs for their single cover. I was totally blown away, though. Labonte's voice is captivating here, and the thumping drum track combined with the wailing electric guitars take away any hint of a doubt that this song is Country. The band manages to inject their particular Metalcore style into a classic and turn it into something heavy, powerful, and full of technical elements which show off the talents of all the band members. Overall, even as an original fan of ALL THAT REMAINS, I was still more impressed by this album than I was expecting. Though, they've gotten some flack for leaving some of their heavier Metalcore roots to explore new styles and genres, there's no denying that their years of experience and combined musical talent have contributed to a polished, kickass album. By branching out, they've written songs which will appeal to fans of their older and newer music alike, and while a few songs fall a bit flat in comparison to others, this album is undoubtedly one of the best modern Metal releases of 2017.