Album Review: Akissforjersey - 'New Bodies'

Akissforjersey have made their comeback to the music scene with 'New Bodies'. The album shows much promise for this and their future, and equally creates a framework that will allow the band to expand yet keep on the same idea and direction.

The fact is. this album is a textbook post-hardcore record. The combination of classic hardcore-punk style (likeable to that of The Ghost Inside or Stick to a Your Guns) with soul and blues influenced vocal and guitar melodies makes for a very easy yet enjoyable listen.

The vocals are very impressive and do a stellar job on the foreground of each song. The shouts/screams are deep and throaty like that of Jesse Barnett and Jonathan Vigil (the aforementioned likening of STYG and TGI). The soulful cleans are by far the album highlight however. No matter what they lay in front of: melodies, breakdowns or heavy, meaty grooves, they perform with ease and excellence. Despite an obvious use of auto tune and programming, both vocal styles keep passion and energy throughout, that being a big selling point nowadays.

Kids of this genre and style will find this a welcome release. You pretty much know what you're going to get, but the output is sufficient enough.

Although, a bit too generic at times, 'New Bodies' is an impressive showcase of Akissforjersey's talent and will only serve as a great start to what is shaping up already to be a fantastic musical year. Best to keep an eye on these post-hardcore lads.

1. War
2. Revival
3. The Sound Of Revolution (ft. Kevin Bryant
4. DeathEater
5. New Bodies
6. Widow/Maker
7. Dear Wayward (There Is Hope Yet)
8. Bones
9. Fell Short, Walk Tall
10. Blind & Bound
11. Everything New (ft. Sid Menon)