The New Enemy - Darkness, She Was The Universe

This Canadian hardcore bunch who go by the handle of  The New Enemy have a metallic sound that harks back to a time before every band that mixed metal with hardcore wanted to be Pantera. For the most part, no one's going to accuse these guys of being groundbreaking unless you count the fact that the band are from Toronto but have a New York hardcore type sound and often fall somewhere between Gorilla Biscuits and early Biohazard.  A lot of this is largely due to the vocals being of the gravelly variety.

"Keratine"is one of those tough guy hardcore songs that would be rap if it wasn't for the band laying down the metallic jams.  "Lives on The Run" has a crunchy rap feel but the threatening mood is ruined with melodic backing vocals.  The usual hardcore sing or shout alongs are present in "Change in The Weather" and it's easy to imagine a crowd joining in with the chants.   The melodic backing vocals ruin "Dead Eyes" as the band reveal a closet fantasy to be Evanescence or Nightwish with a metalcore type up the front.  Experimentation is all good when it works but here it doesn't.  Those sickening sweet backing vocals come into play way too quickly on the album close, "The Muck", which will have people running away but it won't be due to any menacing fist in the factor but the fact that song has a symphonic type ending. There are people out there that want candy after being smacked around but don't count me among them.  A shame really because that this album ends like this because the rest of the songs are quite enjoyable.

3/5

This album is available from the band's bandcamp site for a name your price option and all money raised will go towards Youth without Shelter, a Toronto Shelter for abused and homeless youth.