Promising stuff from the folks who gave us Degreassi Junior High…
I’m not sure how we ended up
with a copy of A New Renaissance’s most recent full length.
After all, how many French/Canadian screamo bands do you know? Location
and low profile aside, the eight songs on offer are of the same quality
Don't miss a beat with our FREE daily newsletter
as most of the stuff that’s coming out of the US at the moment, and
although the whole sing/scream thing doesn’t really leave much room
for experimentation, there are enough variations on the formula to keep
things interesting.
While the influence of current
scene kings Underoath is quite obvious, A NewRenaissance
possess a certain something that allows them to stand on their own two
feet. Maybe there’s something in the Canadian water, but bands like Alexisonfire, Grade and the Cancer Bats have shown
that the Canucks are capable of incorporating the sounds of their American
peers into their own unique take on their chosen genre.
If you own a copy of They’re
Only Chasing Safety then opening track “She” may sound a little
familiar, however vocalist Simon Marois possess more of a throaty
yell than an indecipherable scream, which gives the song a bit of an
edge. “Veiled Coercion” places more of an emphasis on metal riffing
to begin with but the band is able to retain its sense of melody through
a series of catchy choruses and interludes.
“Passions Shared Are Distant
Dreams” starts with a bang but rather than capitalizing on the already
built momentum A New Renaissance opts to slow things down to
your typical rock meets punk verses. Fortunately the follow up track
is the strongest of the album and although it’ll never win any points
for originality, “In Greed Much Is Sown” showcases some excellent
guitar parts, interesting tempo changes and an anthem like chorus. Even
the song’s quieter moments manage to hold your attention.
I’m not really sure what A New Renaissance were trying to achieve by having the introduction
of “Bring It On” so low in the mix, but aside from that the song
flows incredibly well and builds to the most impressive chorus on the
record. The riffs flow thick and fast through “Four More Years”
and show that the band is as competent at writing an aggressive tune
as they are a melodious one.
works well but I found the vocals through the verses particularly irritating,
which is a shame because the chorus is great. “Epilogue” is another
tune that starts well but seems to lose its way the longer the song
goes on.
There are definitely some aspects
of A New Renaissance’s sound that need some work, but this
CD shows a lot of promise, something that I hope the band can capitalize
on if they stick around for another album or two. Considering “A New
Renaissance” was self recorded and produced I think they’ve done
an admirable job.
Distant Dreams