Review: Scars of Life – …A Heart Still Beats
Artist: Scars of Life
Album: …A Heart Still Beats
Rating: 10/10
Fort Lauderdale’s Scars of Life really made an impact on the scene when they released their debut album, “Mute” independently in 2001. Their unique blend of hard rock anthemic-type tracks, mixed with the aggressive style of modern metal really put them on the map. In 2002, the band intended to return to the studio and record 4 songs, later releasing a demo simply titled “2002 Demo”. Little did the band know, that this would be some of their most popular music to date, 3 of those tracks making it onto various UFC pay-per-views. In 2005, shortly after the release of their debut indie label album, “What We Reflect” the band parted ways with singer Kyle Shapiro and disbanded, forming a new band titled Burning Red. In 2011, after 6 years of being off the grid, the band returned with plans to record their 2nd full-length album. After 2 years of writing, recording and practicing, they announced that the album was finished and would be released in Winter 2013, with Kyle Shapiro back at the helm. On December 17th, 2013, that album will be released and I guarantee that it will more than satiate the fans’ appetites for new music from the group.
Prior to the release of the album, the band released a lyric video for their song “It’s Over” which opens this phenomenal album. It’s a great way to open the album, but it’s only a taste of what’s to come with the rest of “…A Heart Still Beats”. I’m here to be one of the first to tell you that this album more than delivers on it’s promise of being worth the wait. It’s heavy, it’s heartfelt and it’s, without a doubt, some of the bands’ best material to date. They, once again, have found a way to perfectly blend elements of modern rock with metal and manage to keep themselves relevant by creating songs that the fans can not only relate with but really capture the senses. It remains relentless from beginning to end.
Some go-to tracks on the album are: “It’s Over”, which sets the scene for the rest of the album and I couldn’t imagine there being a more perfect opener for it. “Endure”, which is a track about all that life throws at you, but somehow finding the strength to push forward and endure even more. It’s an empowering track that I believe fans will definitely relate to. “King of All”, “Empty Promises” and “Unraveled” are thrown into the middle of the album to really give new life to an album that has already captured your attention long before these incredible songs hit your ears. “…A Heart Still Beats” lives up to it’s name, proving that, regardless of how long this band has been gone, how long it took to create the album or what has been thrown at them, the heart of this band remains true and beats harder than ever for the fans.
Overall: I loved this album from start to finish, I have found myself listening to it over and over again, never getting bored. If you’ve been worried about this band losing their substance or letting themselves get sucked into the mainstream, worry no more! While many of these tracks could easily be thrown onto the radio, they weren’t created for that purpose, but rather to give the fans something that they’ve been waiting a long time for. To give fans something to hold onto and relate with. In all senses of the word, this album is going to be the most successful in their catalog. Whether you’ve loved the band from the beginning or are just now finding them, “…A Heart Still Beats” will speak to you in more ways than one. So, if you’re looking for one of the best hard rock albums of 2013, look no further! Go pick yourself up a copy of “…A Heart Still Beats” or 10! Share the love and spread the message that there are still bands who care about more than the money!
