LOATHE | I Let It In And It Took Everything | Album Review

Of all the metalcore bands out there today, you'd be hard pressed to find a band as unique as Loathe in that scene. Granted, you're easily able to find unique bands in any genre, but Loathe have a style that is difficult to duplicate by other bands. Voted as the third most likely band to break out into the mainstream by a Revolver magazine poll, the band has arrived with their sophomore album, "I Let It In And It Took Everything". Loathe has a lot of potential riding on them after their previous album "The Cold Sun" proved to be a decent introduction. After releasing several collaborative projects including split EPs and such, the band is ready to evolve past the aggressive nu-metalcore riffs and breakdowns in order to transcend into something else entirely. In an interview with Altpress, vocalist Kadeem France spoke some interesting words about the style of the album compared to their debut: "The album is like a collection of different stories by Loathe... it can be stupidly heavy and then it can be peacefully ambient." That is a good description of what Loathe is trying to do here. With so many bands like them carbon copying the same uber-aggressive low-tuned riffs over and over again, it's a little overwhelming and monochrome. Loathe's attempts to bring the solemn and abrasive moments together are admirable, especially in the way that they pull it off on this album.

The album begins with a short minute-long named intro entitled "Theme", comprised of beautiful atmospheric elements that make you think you're about to listen to something entirely peaceful. Then, the one-two punch of "Aggressive Evolution" and "Broken Vision Rhythm" kicks in and instantly proves you wrong. "Aggressive Evolution" easily sets things up as it does a solid job at bringing the heavy and light together while mostly relying on the heavy side. The band's sound has been heavily compared to the Deftones and at times it feels like Chino Moreno is present on some of these tracks, including this one. The screamed vocal delivery and dissonant riffage proves that this isn't true. This album is like Deftones went deathcore all while keeping their experimental identity, and it works well. Further evidence that the Deftones comparison fits well is the track "Two-Way Mirror". This was one of the pre-released singles released along with "Aggressive Evolution", and it's an utterly beautiful song. This is one of those songs that just sucks you in with its atmosphere and makes you feel something in return, especially with the more ambient side. It's evidence that bands don't have to rely on one-note riffs and angry screaming to truly have an impact, and Loathe accel in this department, especially since this is the first of the slower tracks and it's phenomenal to say the least.

Stylistically, "I Let It In And It Took Everything" does a good job at fluctuating between the advertised aggressive and quieter soundscapes. The construct of the album is about half and half of both styles, and the band is able to do this without losing focus or sacrificing their identities as a result. The second half of the album is where this album really shines. That's not to say that tracks like the interlude "451 Days" and "New Faces In The Dark" are lacking, which they aren't, but with the track "Screaming" and abroad, the album really finds its footing and superbly executed. The track "Screaming" isn't chock-full of screaming vocals as the title may lead you to believe, though there's a little bit of that. This feels more like an alternative rock track than anything else on this album, and it's an excellent change of pace. Tracks such as "A Sad Cartoon" and "Is It Really You" borrow from the ethereal and atmospheric style of "Two-Way Mirror" with successful and alluring results. Meanwhile, heavier cuts such as "Gored" and "Heavy Is The Head That Falls With The Weight Of A Thousand Thoughts" are truly blistering and menacing. "Heavy Is The Head" even dabbles a little bit with black metal in its opening, and believe it or not, it blends with Loathe's sound very well. Each of the tracks on this 49-minute album connect seamlessly and make a complete experience rather than a segmented and disjointed one.

I will admit though that some of these songs seem to be a bit longer than they really should be. As breathtaking as some of these tracks are, some of these last well over five minutes, the longest of which is "Screaming" as it lasts for nearly six minutes. I am not sure that they needed to extend the runtime of these tracks, but they still ended up succeeding anyway, so, it's not as strong of a complaint. Also, as stated earlier, the second half is the real deal, as "Broken Vision Rhythm" and "New Faces In The Dark" aren't as comparably superb as the rest of the album. But, Loathe's attempts to expand their sound on outing number two were successful and will definitely turn some heads. It's difficult to live up to the hype of your first album and avoid the sophomore slump, but Loathe did all that they could to surpass their debut album and their efforts paid off. Going back to the comments about this band having a very high probability of breaking out, I believe them. This album has not only set in stone the band's style but this will be the album that attracts heavy amounts of attention. Overall, "I Let It In And It Took Everything" is a blistering and blissful album that's meant to be taken in as a whole in order to fully appreciate and understand its beauty. If you haven't heard the name Loathe yet and are curious, let this music in and watch it take over everything, because this album deserves any attention it gets.

RATING: 9/10

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