How about some memorable and varying slices of metalcore? Insolvency from France offer those things for sure, but are they up for more?

The originality level is not very high, but that is 100% more than most metalcore bands have to offer: Zero. But then again, that's not happening in any metal genres that much, huh?! Do Insolvency pack punch? Yes, they do, and quite a bit of it, too. So, is there metal in them? Absolutely. More than In Flames these days, and about same level as Soilwork.

Melodic death metal is an integral part of the band's music. Heavy-handed yet fast riffage and Gothenburg-ish melodies are both here, as well as loads of double kick drumming and all-around fast beats. Trivium style thrashing happens at times, albeit not as Metallica-influenced. Guitar shrieks are in, too, as well as nimble-fingered, shredding fretboard runs. Fuck, sometimes Insolvency actually sound like some early noughties' Finnish, Swedish, or even Greek melodic DM/BM bands, and that partly comes from guitar tones, but yeah, also from melodies. Insomnium, Dark Tranquillity, Septic Flesh... Surely, nothing new in metalcore scene, this, but Insolvency do it so much better than many, and do not sound like it's feebly taped over their core. Then, tastily done guitar solos.

The band understand to slow things down at times. They enter rather prog metal style parts every now and then. Meaning that they are played with skill and feel airy with sweeping or piano-mimicing synthesizers and guitars with less or no distortion. Just check out fantastic build-up on 'A Leaving Life, A New Beginning' (damn cool bass playing right there)! 'Hope', a short instrument, heavily reminds of latter Evergrey, and surely is not the sole occasion when this parable happens, believe me!

Then, typical metalcore elements happen, without any surprise: Barked/shrieked vocals, metalcore rhythms (again, this can happen in Evergrey's music these days, and them being just one example of so many older bands incorporating these newer traits). These aren't too overshadowing, nor rise to very annoying levels. The harsher vocals sound throat-damaging, the cleaner ones do not get whining at all. But all the same, vocal melodies do sound familiar and are totally metalcore; they without any doubt bring the name Bullet For My Valentine to my brain. This could have been counted as a melodic death metal album if it was growled vocals happening all the time.

Give me this album any day over In Flames' stuff after mid-2000s. The band does not fall into the trap for having three or four words in their name (how about Insolvency Means Bankruptcy, ehhehe). They have rather a broad canvas to paint already, so let's see where they dare to venture to next time around. A rare piece of interesting metalcore here! And hey, it's about melodic death metal for a big part, so come on, get out of the closet and try it: It's not lame to enjoy some metalcore any more.

Rating: 7- (out of 10) ratings explained

Reviewed by Lane
10/06/2018 14:41