As I start to get to the last of my 2008 releases that I feel worthy of review, I stumbled across the full length debut from Modesto, California’s Better Left Unsaid, a band whose demo, The Silencing, I reviewed and enjoyed at another site.

Now on Jamey Jasta’s Stillborn Records, BLU play a form of well done American Metal/metalcore that like Antagonist’s Exist, at the time of its release (summer 2008), was actually getting more airplay and enjoyment than All That Remains’ Overcome and even Overcasts’ Reborn to Kill Again despite the fact they really aren’t doing anything new or special. As with The Silencing, comparisons can be made to Shadows Fall, but with a bit more melody and some actually (finally) well done clean vocals from Adam Raffety.

5 tracks from the 7 song demo appear on the album, and while they picked some of the better demo tracks like “Testify”, Under My Skin”, “Never Again” and the ultra melodic “Impurity”, I was disappointed there was no “Sweets”-my favorite track from the demo. The new tracks that fill the rest of the album follow the same mold mixing thrash, hardcore and metalcore with dual vocals that are par for the course, though the aforementioned clean vocals are never over done or forced. Of the new tracks “No Regret”, the title track and somber “Marla” deliver the same mix as the demo tracks with plenty of svelte melodies amid the chugging and stomping. The only real downside is the slightly muddy production that sucks away some of the bands heft (i.e. the closing groove of “No Regret” should have been huge).

Better Left Unsaid and The Fight Within isn’t going to change the genre or change anyone’s opinion who hates the genre, but they are pretty solid at what they do and for those of you that were disappointed with Overcome, this is certainly an album that you can turn to for solace.

[Visit the band's website]

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