It seems lately I’ve been getting into this newer version of post-hardcore that’s been hitting the market. I never been much a fan of the genre, as most bands tend to sound the exact same, but I finally decided to give a few bands in the genre some spins. Low and behold, I’m slowly gaining interest in this style.

So here we are in 2011 with the new sophomore album, My Devil In Your Eyes, by The Color Morale. The album is being released through Rise Records and to be honest, The Color Morale are a perfect fit for the label.

Combining crushing guitars with extravagant melodies and a dose of metalcore — these guys know what’s up! One noticeable change on this album is the inclusion of heavier, more metal based songs. Unlike their last album the band now has a more heated tone and one can definitely hear the change. Especially midway through the album with the song “Demon Teeth”, because this beast of a song is fucking ferocious; sweeping the listener off their feet with after the burial-esque riffs and shattering breakdowns.

Now of course this wouldn’t be a post-hardcore (remember “new” post-hardcore) album without clean singing, now would it? The vocals on this album are probably one of the reasons I will be coming back to this album in the future. Besides the hardcore/metalcore throaty shout (still good just a bit generic), it’s the clean vocals that make this album. This man (Garret Rapp) can sing and he sings like a guy too. These aren’t any of the kicked-in-the-balls variety that ruins the genre, no sir! These are genuine classically trained vocals and fortunately, this is one of those times when the vocals won’t ruin the experience.

At times the album drags as most of the metalcore parts are questionable because they seem tacked on. Meaning, they fit well yet it’s hard to differentiate between some of the songs because a lot of the heavier riffs sound a lot alike. But once the clean vocals kick in, the album picks up pace and everything’s fine. But there’s no avoiding the fact that almost every song plays out in the same scenario with the exception of the last song “Fill; Avoid,” which is a softly sung ambient piece that serves as a great outro.

The Color Morale are not breaking any new ground with their music, but they are making the genre listenable by adding a slew of sounds to their already eclectic mix. If they add a little more spice to their metalcore vibes, then this band will be unstoppable.

[Visit the band's website]

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