GREELEY ESTATES
The Death Of Greeley Estates
[Tragic Hero Records]
Verdict: 8/10

When a band like GREELEY ESTATES hits the scene, it’s to great fan appreciation and love. Even when they change their sound from post-hardcore to full on metalcore aggression. Such was the transition from 2008′s Go West Young Man, Let The Evil Go East to last year’s No Rain, No Rainbow. In keeping with this metamorphosis, The Death Of Greeley Estates sees a perfect mixture of the clean, crisp melodies and production of Go West… blending with the powerful nature of No Rain… to produce a record that not only retains all the heavier elements, as well as the kid choruses, but the delicious melodies that make GREELEY ESTATES so original. Album opener “Straightjacket” embodies all these elements and turns heads. It mixes the old with the new to make a racket that is truely invigorating even adding additional elements like the crazy track opening samples, which do liter the entire album, not becoming annoying but adding the perfect atmosphere for what these guys do. “The Last Dance” wastes no time getting down ‘n’ dirty with a nasty little groove and a very memorable clean chorus. The only oddity is how the vocals were recorded. They sound deep in the mix or as if they were recorded in a huge warehouse, but for some reason it works beautifully. Again, only adding to the atmosphere and overall vibe of the record. The story telling in the songwritting has gotten to a point that one could imagine them used as a soundtrack to a movie or television show, as in the track “Bodies”. Amazing stuff. “A Thousand Burning Forests” has a vibe that is almost epic. It’s a “slower”, but no less aggressive, song that just bleeds emotion and passion. This is songwriting at its finest. A huge leap forward for this style of music. It ends and bleeds into “Broken”, an interlude that adds to the massiveness and creativeness these boys are spilling all over this record. “Leave The Light On” is the end result of the previous two tracks and its as heavy as anything heard on No Rain… if not more so in its maturity. The opening moments of “The Reaction” has an element to it thats every bit as exciting and brutal as anything on any Summer Slaughter Tour. A nod towards the skill these boys have. Album closer “December”, like the months of the year, ends on a note that is melancholy and beautiful at the same time. Do not sleep on this record. This new GREELEY ESTATES will be the death of a scene that has lost its heart and passion. This is merely a beginning… — by Jon Hole