REQUIEM is a Punk/Metal/Power/Pop/Rock band based out of Santa Cruz, California. This is their debut album, and contains fourteen tracks. From their Facebook page description, it sounds like the band has a mixture of many different sounds but an overall commitment to making memorable, sing-along songs. Following my initial listen, I would be inclined to agree. Some of the highlights on the album for me include the raucous and hard hitting riff in "Say Hello to the Devil," which they waste no time steamrolling directly at you with a bevy of screamed, tortured vocals in the versus, followed by clean, melodic vocals in the memorable chorus. By contrast, the approach in "Where the Hell did the Romance Go" is unabashedly Pop sounding, which solidifies the band's commitment to melody over heaviness, for heaviness sake. Still, it has plenty of meat. "Sticks and Stones and her Lovely Bones" is also a fine example of sweet and lush harmonies winning out. It's the kind of song where you just let it flow through you. "The Broken" seems poised to be a perfect single for the band, perhaps the song that best exemplifies their genre-bending beauty, while "Goodbye Beautiful" goes full-throttle with soaring, plush layers of vocal harmonies that truly outlive their reach. If there is a more memorable song on the album, you will not be able to convince me of that.

If you are hankering for the heavier side of the band, look to the track "Tales of the Vermicious Side," which has a dark quality here that reminds me of THE CURE in the way the sadness is delivered. "Now or Never Days" features another splendid melody line, and an upbeat, majestic sort of riff, that just falls over itself with grace. The mix of the clean and harsh vocals is done just perfectly here. It is simply a splendorous song. This album has a nice mix of punch, power, energy, creativity and melody. There is no disbelief that the band is making the music that they feel in their soul, regardless of genre labeling. With that said, I do believe it will appeal to a wide audience as there are many different elements here within the vast envelope of what we call "Rock" music. The Metalcore/Hardcore backbone of the music is tempered nicely with Pop and Punk/Pop sensibilities, and catchy choruses. The varying vocal styles really provide a nice contrast and offer the listener a variety that few bands can do well. Anyone can write an album with heavy, hard riffing and unilateral Harsh Vocals. I contend that it is markedly more difficult to write melodies that people can connect with. The latter is exactly what REQUIEM has done with their debut album here. Open up and let their music flow into your soul.