Review: Bound For Severance – Identity
Artist: Bound For Severance (Facebook)
Album: Identity
Rating: 5/5
Metal is alive and well and this next band proves it! What do you get when you match all the best parts of bands like Bullet For My Valentine, Metallica, Killswitch Engage and Still Remains? You get a band like Appleton’s Bound For Severance. This 4-piece metal explosion is “designed to bring a new style of heavy metal to the masses.” Their debut EP, Identity, recorded with Spencer Fox (No Passenger Studios) and released back in October of last year, is a breath of fresh air to the monotonous mess that seems to come out of most new metal bands these days. On a bands debut, you can usually tell that they’re fresh on the scene and still finding “their” sound. That’s why, when I first listened to my digital copy of Identity I was sent… I was immediately floored by how professional it sounds! It’s cohesive, it flows perfectly and it’s honestly one of the best debut albums I’ve heard from an unsigned band in a long time!
Let me first start off by saying that, if you love any facet of metal.. you’ll find something enjoyable on this EP. For instance, if you enjoy the heavy, destructive side of metal… you’ll immediately cling to the track “Truth and Perception” and its predecessor “Transcend” which both mix fast pace, thrash-like riffs with huge drum beats, creating an EkoTren-like vibe. I feel like I use the “beauty vs. the beast” comparison quite a bit but I really do feel that’s what describes some of this music. Where there are incredible, heartfelt and beautiful melodies… there are beastly, gut-wrenching screams to counter them at every turn. While the album leans more towards the heavy side of the spectrum, it’s overall a mid-tempo offering throughout. One of my favorite tracks on the album is called “False Libra”, led-in by an acoustic/electric guitar melody, flowing into a hard rock vibe and then finally exploding into a symphony of different styles of metal. In the verse, we get more of a metalcore vibe as Holley screams is heart out, backed by fast paced guitars and drums, suddenly switching to a breakdown and a heavier section. The chorus is classic hard rock/metal and puts Holley’s clean vocals in the perfect amount of spotlight.
This album is filled with surprises with every twist and turn (including a pretty killer cover of a classic), clocking in at just under 40 minutes. When you get to the end, you’ll find yourself wanting more and that’s just what any band wants. The question is: Will you play it more than once before getting bored? My answer for you is: Yes. It’s got tremendous replay value, keeping you interested and your sense of discovery piqued with each listen. You’ll find yourself saying things like “WOW, I didn’t realize that melody was there!” or “Where did that solo come from?” In short, this EP is, all sense of the word, the band finding their Identity and, with the addition of their new drummer Ian Arthur (CHILD on FIRE), not featured on the album, they seek to etch themselves upon the hearts of their fans, one song at a time! So, if you haven’t already, check out the links below and pick up your copy of Identity! You’ll be glad you did!
Buy Identity
iTunes | CDBaby | BandCamp
“Controverse” (Official Lyric Video)
Bound For Severance (Identity line-up):
Derek Holley – Guitar/Vocals
Tristan Eastman – Guitar
Jeremy Matzke – Bass
Kipp Nordall – Drums
Bound For Severance (Current line-up):
Derek Holley – Guitar/Vocals
Tristan Eastman – Guitar
Jeremy Matzke – Bass
Ian Arthur – Drums
