Emmure - Slave To The Game (Album Review)
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Monday, 30 April 2012 |
Written by Heather McDaid
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When my friends and I speak of Emmure, many similar things come up. They don’t often tread new ground with their music and could perhaps push the boundaries a bit more; to their credit however, if you love big breakdowns, Emmure have always had your needs catered for. So, as attention turns to their fifth album ‘Slave To The Game’, one has to question if this will mark an improvement from their previous release which was, personally, a tad disappointing.
 At first listen, it feels much the same as their previous releases in the sense that this is packed to the brim with harsh breakdowns that can cause head-banging so ferocious you may require a neck brace afterwards. However, the likes of ‘MDMA’ throws a few melodic curveballs that really spices it up; this particular track being one of the highlights of the
record. ‘Protoman’ garners the same praises by utilising some melodic flaunts alongside Frankie Palmeri’s prominent snarls.
This record satisfies all that you would want as an Emmure fan; it encompasses their core essence, some brilliant breakdowns and some real quality moments. To their cynics, it has its positives too. There is a notable sense of progression in this record, with other influences being able to infiltrate their core and established sound. However, it’s not quite enough to shake-off their past criticisms. If anything, it’s a step in the right direction – one they should look to continue on the next record.
When you give this more than one listen, you begin to change your initial view. There are a lot more nuances on this record to appreciate than there may seem at first, and the songs do start to differentiate themselves more prominently. After more listens ‘Poltergeist’ rears its head as an increasingly interesting interlude, fusing eerier sounds with religious spoken word.
With more listens, the record definitely improves; yet, it’s hard to say that more listens will render it a masterpiece. What can be said though is that this is a marked improvement on 2011’s ‘Speaker of the Dead’ and it shows a lot of promise for the future in terms of experimentation. This feels like the middle ground between a safe band and a band willing to drastically push their boundaries. A good album, and one that should make fans optimistic for its successor.
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