After an acceptable but clichéd, Christian band, As I Lay Dying riff off debut in Saints, Destroy the Runner return with an even more commercial, poppy, mainstream album that makes the likes of Demon Hunter, The Devil Wears Prada, Farewell to Freeway and A Day to Remember look like Nile.

Cleaner, whinier vocals and lots of ‘em is the culprit here. And where the above bands had at least some form of decent metalcore based guitar work to fall back on, Destroy the Runner don’t even have that anymore, as like label mates Demon Hunter,  their former, moderately acceptable As I Lay Dying mimicry has evolved into a far more rock/emo/rock and mainstream sound-and its pretty tepid.

A few gruff moments are forced into the mix by way of a few hardcore shouts and half hearted breakdowns (“Crumbs for the Murder”-the album’s sternest misleading opening track, “A Bag of Marbles”, “Mr. And Mrs. Cuckholdom”), and some vague shimmery, metalcore-ish harmonies arise here and there (“I, Lucifer”, “A Novel For War”), but for the most part, I, Lucifer is emo/pop/rock tripe like “Isabella’s”, “On Falling Leaf”, and “Luxuria”; mostly weak excuses for metal, even for a Christian band.

Even though I didn’t have high expectations for this, but still, only slightly somber closer “A Mountain So Big, A Question so Small” even registered with me amid the 11 tracks of ridiculously sugary, grace filled pop/rock anthems. I’ll even admit I’ll actually listen to the aforementioned bands than this ever again.

Listen to Kingston Falls or Means instead.

[Visit the band's website]

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