Review: Bruised But Not Broken – Just(Defied)
Artist: Bruised But Not Broken
Album: Just(Defied)
Rating: 10/10
Track List:
1. A Starving Clock Comes Back For Seconds
2. Born & Razed
3. Just(defied) Sin
4. Ms. Fortune (ft. Cameron Mizell)
5. The Master & His Daughter
I have been following Bruised But Not Broken ever since Zac Johnson joined the band. For those of you not familiar with him, he does a lot of covers on YouTube, has worked with Rise Records band, Crown the Empire before they were signed and is the former screamer for Nightmares Never Sleep. Bruised But Not Broken sets themselves apart from other post-hardcore bands on the scene these days. They give it all they’ve got and now that they’ve inked a deal with Standby Records, they are planning to prove themselves even further. Starting this endeavor is the release of Just(Defied) their debut EP! This EP takes my love of the genre to another level entirely and helps me to appreciate the music and lyrics in a whole different light. My initial reaction to the EP was that I loved it. Upon, finishing it, though, I found it to be much deeper than that. This is an EP that I would love to be able to hold in my hands, share with my friends and really get people pumped on. The lyrics are deep, powerful and meaningful; The instrumentals are out of this world and the effects (there’s some orchestral and dubstep parts thrown in there but they help make the album even more unique). The vocals are crisp, clean, and absolutely astounding and the band themselves, being a band of incredible caliper, bring this together in a way that, if done any differently, just would not be the same. The band consists of Hudson Hower who writes the lyrics and is on main vocals, Matt Bentley on Drums, Stevie D and Trevor Floyd on Guitar and Zac Johnson on Bass and also does vocals. The EP features a guest vocalist by the name of Cameron Mizell who owns Chango Studios and brings something far out of the ordinary to the track “Ms. Fortune”. The EP as a whole, is written and executed beautifully and I definitely am proud to be able to bring you a review of this magnitude. This EP truly changed my outlook on a genre that, in my eyes, had become stale and generic. Go pick up your copy of “Just(Defied)” on iTunes now through Standby Records and find yourself singing and screaming at the top of your lungs like I have!
