Song Review: Wovenwar - All Rise

I'm aware that I posted this in another thread where I talk specifically about the band itself. I know this and am aware of how this band is connected to As I Lay Dying, thus making them somewhat of a big deal. It's got the four members of AILD and the singer of Christian rock/metal band Oh, Sleeper. Now, I've never heard of the latter, but I know a whole hell of a lot about the former and their music. Been a fan of them since 2007 and I'm glad that I first heard them with An Ocean Between Us.

So what about the newly released song which I am to assume is going to be the single for their upcoming debut this summer?

From the start, you can tell what this band is all about. The sound is very clear, the once-shrouded mystery of what Wovenwar would sound like being shattered from the beginning. And I would say that what I'm hearing is quite pleasing to the ear. BUT it's only enjoyable if you listen to it in the right mindset. Some are already dismissing the band as being a pointless side-project with no substance because the production is too clear, the sound is too modern, the lack of harsh vocals, and the continual list of nitpicking from idiots who are so stuck on the previous band of these four members that they won't even give this new band a chance. It's just one song, people. Stop condemning them right off the bat. Give them a chance. At least wait for the album to come out first.

*Napoleon Dynamite lip smack* "God..."

All criticism of those folk aside, what we have here is essentially melodic alternative metal with obvious metalcore elements thrown in. For those that say that Wovenwar sounds like As I Lay Dying, they would be right to some degree. The metalcore elements are there and shine as clear as day. The songwriting is simple and the riffs are certainly not groundbreaking in any way, but they are well-composed and put together well. You can hear the effort in each band member putting their hearts into differentiate this new project from their former band, but there's no escaping. Josh, Phil, Nick, and Jordan simply cannot pull away from injecting that sound within this newly formed project and I fear that's what pulls this song down and the band itself down musically with people--that it's just going to make listeners hearken back to the former and toss Wovenwar aside as radio-friendly mainstream drivel.

Yes, the sound is very clear. It's made to be played on the radio. It is very radio-friendly, ripe for post-hardcore/alternative metal radio stations to play the shit out of, but it's certainly good for the band. More exposure to them. More fans to capture. More minds to enrapture.

The guitars fall into chugga-chugga-chugga territory sometimes, following the drums very closely, bringing that metalcore sound out for all to hear, but this doesn't last forever thankfully. Nick and Phil do their usual guitar magic here, but you can tell their playing was stripped down for the sake of quality control. There's some real strong exchanges of cleans between Shane Blay and Josh Gilbert. I've always loved Josh's cleans. He showed that not only was he a talented bassist, but a phenomenal clean singer for the amazing five-piece. Speaking of the bass, it's there, but it just follows the guitars all the time, so there's nothing special at all. I'm just glad it's not buried in the mix, though it's pushed a little too high for me, blocking the guitars. This band was never intended to sound technical or ultra-heavy. They sound what AILD would sound like if Tim Lambesis wasn't there (which he isn't) and they were playing their more mellow stuff from The Powerless Rise and An Ocean Between Us.

The track is very good, but nothing ultimately special for a band that's essentially a pet project for the members of As I Lay Dying to keep themselves occupied while their former lead vocalist is locked behind bars. I'm glad they're moving on from that nonsense. For that, they get my respect. Keep on making music, brothers!

Overall: 8/10

Pros
Good instrumentation
Strong vocal presence from Shane Blay and Josh Gilbert
Good track, overall

Cons
Bass is a little too high
Lyrics aren't that great
Kinda stinks of generic metalcore at points