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7 out of 10
Having had the pleasure of seeing them live at Wacken last year, I’m hoping, nay expecting, Maroon’s latest release to maintain the high standards and no-holds barred approach of "When Worlds Collide", their debut release on Century Media Records. They don’t exactly come across as a band that are going to start experimenting or overusing clean vocals as so many bands attempting to fit into this genre seem to do. So let’s get this party started. ’(Reach) The Sun’ eases the listener into the proceedings, just as a tiger shark would lick a drowning child like a lollipop. I expected nothing less. Combining a large dollop of blistering, breakneck hardcore with a splattering of European metal complete with solos (And even some purposely tongue in cheek moments) and dual guitar action, Maroon are back to prove they can hold their own in a genre swamped with watered-down, over-produced "metalcore" poster boys. ’Only The Sleeper Left The World’ is an absolute belter. In fact, pretty much the whole damn album is an exercise in kicking your arse. ’Steelbath Your Heart’ is sure to be a live favourite with its pummelling hardcore rhythm, unless you happen to be standing in the way of a flailing fist. As the minute long (And fairly pointless) interlude of the title track fades out, the second half of the album begins with a touch of 90s metal in ’For Those Unseen’, and a riff that Fear Factory might once have been proud of. For the most part though, ’The Cold Heart Of The Sun’ is an exercise in modern metalcore, with a heavy dose of vegan straight edge song writing and ethics. The only real downside to this album is that a lot of bands are doing very similar things at the moment, and Maroon is still playing it relatively safe. This is most certainly a solid release from the German 5-piece however, and a couple of weaker moments aside, I would recommend it any day of the week over dozens of more popular bands. Metalcore should only be a dirty word to the ignorant, as the far-too-shiny surface of the genre crumbles without effort to reveal a whole legion of top quality bands who have risen from the seeds planted by the metallic hardcore bands of the 90s. So remove the eyeliner (You heard me Caliban), stop singing like fucking Cher and take Heed of Maroon; the road they are helping to pave most definitely leads in the right direction. What we have here is a slab of absolutely top-notch European metallic hardcore: screams, shreds, solos, and meat free for those who are interested. They don’t quite have the edge (No pun intended) that elevates Heaven Shall Burn above most other metalcore bands I could name, but with the release of ’The Cold Heart Of The Sun’, Maroon’s future looks brighter already. Listen: www.myspace.com/maroonhate
Tracklist:
1. Reach the Sun 2. Only the Sleeper Left the World 3. Steelbath Your Heart 4. My Funeral Song 5. Black Halo 6. The Cold Heart of the Sun 7. For Those Unseen 8. As Truth Becomes You 9. The Iron Council 10. Fear the Most Them Who Protect 11. Some Goodbyes Are Farewells
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