Album Review: The Plot in You - 'Could You Watch Your Children Burn?'

To the casual observer, all one might know about The Plot in You is they're a metalcore band that has one of the members of Before Their Eyes residing within the line-up.

Metalcore, as a genre, seems to reap the best quality releases when a middle ground is struck between innovation and its conventions. 'Could You Watch Your Children Burn?' though seems afflicted and perhaps conflicted in both structure and tone. It is not as fluent. Not as dynamic.

The full-length seems to stick to a general formula where the only word that comes to mind is "generic". It's a small mercy that it's free of BFE's auto-tuning, but stylistically, it doesn't stand out. Neither do any of the songs on it have the accessible and memorable hooks that is a common tool for the more successful bands.

Lyrics should not be understated when it comes to impact. In fairness, it seems The Plot in You have taken steps to separate themselves using various political motifs throughout the album's course, but at equal times a teenage angst just seeps in and takes gravity away from the addressed issues.

Unfortunately, a cursory and more considered listen seems to reach the same outcome. The tracks are so indistinct from one another that it's hard to tell where each song finishes, and the next begins. And this is no progressive band.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Unfortunately, the venture that is listening to this album will gain you absolutely nothing. Unless of course, you enjoy tuning out while grown men who seem to be re-living their adolescence make what's sure to be your scene little sister's new favourite act of the year.

 1. Premeditated

2. Fiction Religion

3. Digging Your Grave

4. Population Control

5. Troll

6. The Devil's Contract

7. Shyann Weeps

8. Sober and Soulless

9. Bible Butcher

10. Glad You're Gone