One of the most talked-about rising bands is Alice, Texas' own SHATTERED SUN. They burst onto the scene with their debut album "Hope Within Hatred" and immediately set out on tour with TESTAMENT and EXODUS, a tour which I was able to attend in Atlanta. Getting to see this band up close and personal and then reviewing their album means that I have the luck of having two separate perspectives: in concert and studio.

It is easy to tell that SHATTERED SUN have come a long way from where they began. Their sound is pretty awesome as what I would describe as Progressive Metalcore and this album is easily compared to music by similar artists such as KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, ALL THAT REMAINS, and AS I LAY DYING. One thing I personally enjoy hearing is the fairly liberal use of the djent technique in combination with more traditional Metalcore riffs. That factor, along with several other key elements help to make this band distinguishable against the backdrop of every other band on the heatseeker charts.

Combine the harsh vocals of Tim Lambesis and Phil Labonte with the smooth tones of Chad Grey (HELLYEAH) and you start to get the sense of the abilities of Marco Leal. The overall musicianship on this album, which include a few ballads ("281," "Return to Serenity") is remarkable, using both standard, heavy guitars on most of the songs in conjunction with strum chords that almost hint at the presence of Spanish influence in the music. Oh by the way, if you like a good breakdown, then you will not be disappointed here.

It goes without saying that a band can only achieve the potential lying in their music by performing their best and recording with the appropriate level of equipment. "Hope Within Hatred" is no exception to that rule, and anyone who knows a little bit about the recording process can tell that every effort was 100% in the making of this album. Likewise at their live performance, they played absolutely flawlessly and even with the crowd and the venue setting, they did not miss a note. SHATTERED SUN have a great formula on their debut album, so as long as it carries over for them in the future, they will continue to impress!