Album Review: Buried In Verona - Vultures Above, Lions Below

Regularly issuing fresh product seems a necessity nowadays (unless you're Tool, an entity unto themselves), so it's unsurprising these Sydney heavy-hitters have already unleashed a successor to 2014's Faceless.

There's also more pertinent motivation. Buried In Verona seemingly have an unwanted knack for attracting drama, while rage stemming from the metalcore crew's financial and personnel woes fuel these songs.

Mixed and mastered by metal aficionados Fredrik Nordström and Henrik Udd, the album carries sizeable sonic weight, the band expanding on their previous electronic-inflected, string-infused scope throughout this melodic and atmospheric affair. Critics have accused them of chasing fads, one detractor recently proposing on social media that Buried In Verona are typically "two years late on every trend".

There could be suggestions of seeking a Bring Me The Horizon-esque crossover within the more accessible fare, too. Post-hardcore-meets-rock-ballad Can't Be Unsaid, Hurricane and Pathways are admittedly memorable. However, the latter is perhaps their most honest outpouring yet. Unbroken's aggression is tempered by a hook that may convert Amity Affliction devotees. They can revert to tired chugging and gang vocal conventions though, and also a penchant for banal nu-metal overtones. Separation's "you fuckin' make me sick" catch-cry was surely vitriolic in the studio, albeit somewhat at odds with their vaunted, new-found perspective.

Whether this record elevates Buried In Verona above mid-tier status among the country's heavy music players is uncertain. Irrespective, they've clearly exorcised some personal demons — likely cheaper than therapy.