For All Those Sleeping - Outspoken

While their debut album ‘Cross Your Fingers’ introduced this Minnesota quintet as players in the metalcore scene, follow-up ‘Outspoken’ marks them out as legit melodic songwriters. Songs like ‘Tell Me The Truth’ and ‘One Kiss’ – which comprise clean vocals punctuated with screams, rather than the other way around – are highlights of the album. That’s not to say that their heavier parts are bad (if anything, they are a step up from the more saccharine choruses that a lot of post-hardcore bands peddle), but they’re produced identically to their slick choruses, and so lack aggression and impact. Overall, it’s the melodies here that really shine.