A lot of people these day's think those from the younger generation (ages 15-40, if definitions of the "millennial" mean anything to you) don't know how to work hard for the things they want. It may be true in some cases, but you'd be hard-pressed to argue that to a band like CRAIGH, whose debut album "Of Dreams and Wishes" came out in April. Formed in 2004, the band honed their skills through numerous gigs throughout Switzerland and Austria. Whatever you think of their style of music (in this case, rhythmically pounding and technically precise Metalcore), there's no denying the tightness of their songs, the kind a band can only get from unreal practice schedules and a relentless drive to get better.

This doesn't necessarily make the album a winner from the onset, but it is a good start, and the fruits of their labor are evident on offerings like "Origin" and "Deathless Wings." The riffs are aggressive and driven, and the driving rhythms add to the punch packed as they segue between furious verses and hyper-melodic choruses with ease. Vocalist Sebastian Möbius is more than helpful to this end, his heartfelt delivery bridging transitions with ease as well as providing a versatile melodic counterpoint to the guitars. He stays pretty much in the same tonal range with his cleans throughout, but he knows how to make the most of them. "Of Dreams..." is a solid album all around, but the band succeeds most when they break from their melodic template and change things up. The first two tracks establish the mood and are stellar examples of the band's style, and "Ronny B. Jones" changes things up with its unhinged ferocity. "Again And Again" is similarly satisfying, especially with the clean/heavy interlude that leads into one of the album's several captivating leads, but you can start to feel the band getting a little too comfortable.
This is not as evident until the end of the album, as tracks like "Going Commando" and "Every End" still manage to challenge the listener, especially with the latter song's minor key-sounding chorus that reminds a bit of something Warrel Dane might sing. Nevertheless, I found myself steadily losing the excitement the album's first half instilled. While none of the songs here are bad, there definitely don't need to be thirteen of them to get the point across.  When it's all said and done, CRAIGH manage to deliver a strong debut with "Of Dreams and Wishes," a more-than-competent display of modern Metalcore that satisfies in a lot of the right places.