The Ascent
by Secrets
[January 17, 2012 – Velocity Records / Rise Records]
Verdict: 8.5 out of 10
Review by Nathaniel Lay
[MELODIC HARDCORE/SCREAMO]
Rise Records has gone through phases of what kind of styles it was pumping the most, and listening to Secrets is like rewinding four years back to when screamo was fueling the label. Granted, this band have more metalcore peppered into the mix, but they still feel more closely related to the likes of Before Their Eyes and Burden of a Day from back in the day. With intense screaming and top notch breakdowns throughout, the heavy side of Secrets is a real winner. The singing, which mainly appears during the soaring and catchy choruses, sounds pretty damn good as well, but often sounds more distant for some reason. Luckily, the back and forth never feels forced, making the balance between heavy and soft at an excellent level. The opening track, “Genesis”, represents the best of the band, so having it kick off The Ascent was a smart move. The chorus behind the song will get easily stuck in your head, as well as many others from the album. Listeners tend to pick sides when it comes to the heavy and soft; which is best? With Secrets, it’s no such an easy decision. Most everything on their debut sounds great and is memorable, whether its something brutal or poppy (“Blindside” does both very well). Fans of Ten After Two, Ace Augustine, and Burden of a Day will probably love this release. Velocity Records made a smart move in signing these guys to the family with Rise. They fit right at home here, so let’s hope they don’t do what a lot of the younger bands do after their debuts: die.
[---] Highlight Tracks: “Genesis”, “Somewhere In Hiding”, “Blindside”
