Reviews: Son Of The Mourning - Forest Bank
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Railroad Chronicle
Brutal metallic hardcore with emo lyrics and a melodic approach. You can really hear a Poison The Well influence here, but the band still has something new to offer. Great production and packaging. If you like PTW you need to check this out.
Scratch The Surface (http://www.skratchthesurface.co.uk)
Son Of The Mourning's last offering 'The Lambton Road' EP was a fine mix of melody, muscle and metallic ferocity and I'm pleased to report that 'Forest Bank' continues where that disc left off, o-nly with all the elements of their metallic hardcore mix stepping up a notch.
From the schizophrenic o-nslaught of the title track where a glass in the throat style shriek overlaps into a clean, soaring backing vocal to the peaks and valleys of 'A Broken Palisade' where an almost punky, stomping vibe is punctuated brilliantly by a haunting mid song breakdown its evident that SOTM have lifted their game from what was already a fairly lofty place.
Truly a huge, huge breath of fresh air amongst all the Funeral For A Friend-a likes and faux-emotive lighter hardcore bands currently clogging up both the airwaves and the mailbox and reviews section of this very site, 'Forest Bank' is a 5 track journey where the word mediocre is never even considered let alone comes into place.
Imminently due a release through Engineer records keep an eye out for this EP as it's o-ne of the best releases so far this year and is a solid showcase of a constantly improving young bands many talents and classy songs. Highly, highly recommended.
Raw Nerve (http://www.rawnervepromotions.co.uk)
I had heard Son of the Mourning once before this, when they played in Leeds and thought they were pretty good at what they were doing.
'Forest Bank' opens up straight away reminding of early Beecher, in the same discordant yet melodic vein. A cross between first two albums Cave In for the off kilter sharp sounds, and Poison The Well for the more melodic side, and indeed the odd vocal harmonies are not too distant from latter day Cave In also. The whole thing is fairly tight as well with a very strong production, everything being audible and well played. Great opener.
A tense start to 'Jehru', before an odd Nora, Everytime I Die and Botch style twisted groove falls into place. 'To accept on face value' jangles away rather well and is a lot less chaotic sounding than the previous two, knocking the flow a little but still a good song, before 'Knives for fingers' picks it up with a vengeance, and the calm 'A broken palisade' is what you would get if you crossed King Crimson with Drowningman and latter day Bob Tilton.
A solid, heavy, metallic emo release.
Embrace (http://www.icestormcity.com/ircsax/embrace)
This new UK metal hybrid have made songs that threatens to bury the listener into deep beneath of the underworld. It's slow, grinding, and violent with devastating chords bend with ultra-guitars, and machine-gun paddling. The production itself is shit hot, and it's unbelievable how this band finished the work so well-done. Good stuff that causes the knee to jerk in crazed to the mindblowing, yet wholesome solid groove with songs that is an atmosphere of contrived doom and gloom that has you reaching for your own hell indeed.
Scene It All (http://sceneitall.net)
After all the mellow rock and emo music we've covered for Engineer Records, the thing most of you would least expect is to have a really good hardcore band come from the same label. Well prepared to be a little surprised when listening to one of Engineer's newest signee's Son Of The Mourning (Son). Son has been touring pretty regularly and doing so with some of today's biggest bands including Converge, The Secret, and Nine. These guys just recently released their sophomore EP entitled "Forest Bank", and they're looking to pick up where they left off with "The Lambton Road". Featuring primarily scream-based vocals with a slight hint of singing, this EP is set to please most people.
The opening and title track wastes no time shoving intense vocals in your face. The music is all over the place and creates a chaotic feel. In this track you have the presence of singing backup vocals, which do seem a little out of place and would in all honesty be better in not even there. Singing only accounts for like 1% of the song, so it really holds no bearing on the many other dominant factors that make Son a great band. "Jehru" has a dark intro that leads into a brutal track. The drumlines are amazing, and the guitar riffs are great. The vocals are really well done and go right with the musical style. "To Accept On Face Value", the longest track of the EP, stays pretty consistent with the previous songs and keeps up the pace well.
"Knives For Fingers" is the most energetic song on the cd and it's really cool how well they transition from fast to mellow multiple times without skipping a beat. It's ironic that the song that has some of the more heavy parts on the record also has some of the more melodic sections, making this track very well rounded and classic. As the EP closes with "A Broken Palisade", you'll begin to appreciate the complexity of Son Of The Mourning. This track is predominantly singing-based vocals, and it's good that they didn't clutter it with to many scream-sing transitions because that frequently gets tedious. It's cool to hear the backup vocalist get some power in his voice for the first time, and really say what he feels. My favorite track would have to be "Knives For Fingers", it's the most intriguing song of them all, and has the most intricate musicianship.
I'd have to say that Engineer has done a good job finding talent on multiple ends of the spectrum, succeeding once again with an emotional hardcore release. "Forest Bank" is a great musical ride through the intensity of pain and the beauty of passion (I'm not sure what that means, but if you listen you might understand). This record is a solid release that will be pleasing to many people on many levels. The scream-based vocals are awesome, and the backup sing-based vocals find their place near the end of the album. Overall this EP is worth the money, and Son Of The Mourning are worth noting for future releases.
Apathy Zine
Manchester's Son Of The Mourning follow up 2003's self-released "Lambton Road" EP with this, their third release to date. Originally put out off their own backs in March 2004, Engineer Records involvement shortly after has ensured a wider availability to their ever-expanding fanbase.
Musically, the CD screams out for a healthy course of Ritalin, with song structures seemingly put together by and attention deficit childd in a room full of shiny new riffs. Moods and hooks are toyed with and discarded in rapid succession, one moment harsh and confrontational, the next haunting and atmospheric but always with a menacing undertone. Imagine Hopesfall and Poison The Well in a pub brawl, with Shai Hulud providing the pool cues and broken bottles and you"re getting close.
Title track Forest Bank kicks matters off as they mean to go on: in-your-face, soul-baring and more than a little unhinged. Jagged rhythms and throat-ripping screams, interspersed with some slightly ropey "nice" singing, threaten to tear your face off before everything breaks down and veers dangerously close to emo for a while until Mr Hyde is let back out to play.
Sikth tinged Jehru serves up more of the same, with some impressive guest vocals from ex-Scissorfist front man Ian Breen, before the band throw a curve ball into the mix with To Accept On Face Value. Up tempo and straight forward for the most part, there are hints of recent From Autumn To Ashes in this 6 and a half minute lesson to the wannabe emo bands coming out of the woodwork at the moment. Harmonies and melodies soar over rising and falling guitar lines as they drive home a message of introspection and self-realisation.
Following is the stand-out track of the album, Knives For Fingers, which see the band at their most psychotic metalcore best and one which is begging to be seen from the middle of the pit. This all gives way to final track, A Broken Pallisade, another lesson in screamo with a split personality disorder that closes the EP on a high.
The only things that threaten to bring the EP down are the occasionally under-par clean vocal lines and the threat that, sometimes, the songs are losing their way a little in the madness. But overall, this is a great release with heaps of promise, particularly when they"re finally let loose with a large recording budget.
Suspect Device #44
Another new release from Engineer and another 5 track CDEP as it happens. And another 'modern' sounding release, though this is much more metal than #1 Defender. Double bass drums aplenty, fast metal guitar rifts and screamed vocals, with sung back ups. The songs have a good few sudden stops and starts and mellow moments to break up the "metal assault" Good, rather cryptic lyrics and top production again. They are compared to Poison The Well and BoySetsFire on the promo sheet and that's pretty spot on.
Rock Midgets
With their two self released EPs causing major stirs in their local scene, combined with some stunning live shows alongside the likes of Converge, Orca and Eden Maine, Salford's Son Of The Mourning put out 'The Forest Bank EP' through Engineer Records a few months after the original self released effort rapidly racked up sales in quadruple figures.
'The Forest Bank EP' illustrates exactly why the band are exciting so many people, blending the heavy hitting brutality of Converge with Poison The Well like melodies. Each of the five songs add something unique and equally important to the EP, from the title track's schizophrenic mood swings to the vicious vocal dueling of 'Jehru' to the 'Perfect Blue' sampling rage of 'Knives For Fingers'. Without one hint of a compromise 'To Accept On Face Value' and EP closer 'A Broken Palisade' catch the band in a relatively mellow form and show that they could easily attract a huge audience if given the opportunity.
'The Forest Bank EP' signals the arrival of one of the UK's best up and coming hardcore bands, quite how Son Of The Mourning manage to follow this effort up is anybody's guess, but there's little doubt it will be an awesome prospect.
Shoot Me Again (http://www.shootmeagain.com)
A promising new release from Engineer Records. I say promising for this is the kind of "zique" that is everywhere at the moment. However, I do not want not to say that this is not any good. Opposite, this is very well done! A mix of metallic aggressiveness with a pleasing enough melodic sensibility. Some choirs well sung by here and there also. A duality is obtained by singing and screaming which is a nice mix, comparable to groups such as: POISON THE WELL, HOPESFALL or SKYCAMEFALLING. Not bad at all. I am wanting to hear more for their music, but unfortunately there are only 5 courses to the menu. A little a taste of too little therefore! A good entrance and a good departure! Not bad at all... http: //www.engineerrecords.co.uk
Ox Fanzine
SON OF MOURNING published so far the self-produced MCD 'the Lambton Road" and, having now signed with Engineer records, will have a broad public to respond. The band is in the style of CONVERGE, BEECHER and EDEN MAINE. SOTM use clever rising scales, and songs like "Knives For of finger" have unbelievable dynamics. Sometimes it gets into quite conventional Emo and offers something diefferent, but without the emotional ballast the songs may carry even more pressure and power than already. Check them out. What way will they go?
Mass Movement (http://wakeup.to/massmovement)
...This i do like a lot. Well structured scream based metalcore. In use the term in a loose sense as there's a bit more to them i feel. There's also quite a heavy rock and normal metal to them, but then the metalcore edge to it. There are some melodic mellow parts but these compliment the blasting parts well. Don't let me prattle on about it, get one for yourself and judge for yourself.
Pure Rock (http://www.purerock.de)
Chaoscore seems steps to become a really popular music direction in England so slowly, now with Son Of The Mourning the next very promising volumes on the country card of the attention.
Between brutal Poison The Well-Gekeife and super-poppigen Emoeinlagen, the Forest bank EP oscillates - in contrast too many colleague finally are are that sons of the sorrow however neither vorhersehbar (ah yes, therefore came the chaos in the concept of the genre originally) yet glattpoliert, but rather enough Authenzität preserve itself and Spritzigkeit up. The rather violent changes do not remind me finally of From Autum To Ashes, to be sure the mehrstimmige song of the Englishmen grasps another little better together.
The atmosphere of that (to) metallic and violent part does not resemble that of Eden Maine or - more rarely - Converge.
To be sure the Sound is decided confessed, on that Son of the Mourning meanwhile and touches done would have therefore no longer so, how it it yet some time ago, but it fells to find me heavily really negative viewpoints in this all around nice EP - therefore let I it and would speak a recommendation for all friends of the genre from.
Room Thirteen (http://www.roomthirteen.com)
"Forest Bank" is an EP of contrasts that are nailed together. The clever use of clashing vocals and music gives this a stamp of its own. The answer as to whether it works or not is such an individual one that the jury could be out forever but the more you hear it the more you realise the answer must be, Yes, both on the title track and on "Jehru" there is no doubt that Son of the Mourning are accomplished musicians, but to get this mix of metal, rock and anthem sounds right is brilliant. It really comes together on 'to Accept on Face Value" which has everything you need- axes that soar, vocals that fight each other and drum work that sounds like a dozen machine guns firing at once.
"Knives For Fingers" has points that lull you, only to follow with others that are terrifying. In the final track "A Broken Palisade" the success of 'to Accept on Face Value" is repeated so much so that you find yourself holding your breath for the start of the number, just waiting for the metal to hit you.
It has to be said that all of the numbers are held together by drum work that makes you think that you have entered some kind of war zone. Truely awesome.
pastandpresent2.tripod.com (Hans)
Wow, these guys made me go crazy in my room while listening to this EP. Not often I even move a muscle longer while listening to CDs I am about to review, but these guys, well, they practically had me jumping around the room. This is a five-track EP featuring some of the coolest post-hardcore the UK has on offer right now. This has a bit of that catchy metallic hardcore that's so popular these days featuring a thin line between emotive vocals and insane screaming. What sets Son of the Morning a bit on the left wing of this genre, though, is an occasional odd twist and turn that makes them sound kind of differently.
Source Unknown
This band come from England and this mini-cd is their second release.
In those 5 tracks they play emo-metal that in particular in the first track remind a bit to Hopesfall and maybe also to Skycamefalling. Infact often appears a melodic singing mixed with metal-core screaming and only in the second and in the forth song is chaos-metal that prevail.
In general the sound is really powerfull and solid. Maybe are the drums that stands upon the others that are more influenced by trash-metal and is when guitar follow it that they remind me more to Skycamefalling.
Considering that I'm not a fan of emo-metal however I can say that this cd is good, maybe becouse Son Of The Mourning mix to the melodic parts a morre chaotic attitude, so that they remind me to to good and undervalued belgian band called Course Of Action that some years ago were released by good life records.
Ah. It deserves a note the last track of this cd that maybe is not really original but has good melodies in a Boysetsfire way.
Geekburger.com (Andy)
More than one year ago I reviewed Son Of The Mourning's EP, "Lambton Road," and closed by hinting at interest in the band's future endeavors. And here it is, the latest recording from Son Of The Mourning, a relatively small-scale band from the United Kingdom that I inititally came into contact with through a message board. I'm pleased that the band is sticking together even through a vocalist switch, a hardship many young bands see as their breaking point. On "Forest Bank," Son Of The Mourning takes their metal/hardcore in a more chaotic direction, but retains the melodic qualities of their previous recording.
While I do enjoy this band's output thus far, it's generally safe to say that they haven't yet devised any major aspect of their music without looking elsewhere for inspiration. If someone were to play "Forest Bank" for me and ask what band I thought it was, I'd probably spout out something like "It's old Hopesfall or, wait, maybe it's Beecher, actually, I can't really tell." A lot of collective influences seem to shape Son Of The Mourning's sound, but the band does well in fluidly alternating between them.
One thing I notice on "Forest Bank" is a stronger reliance and dissonant riffs and a few really fast passages that sound like something from a Converge or Beecher record. The music is often mid-paced and crunchy, with a lot of melodic, spacey interludes and clean singing breaking up any monotony, but now and then the band breaks into these energetic passages that up the excitement. This is prominently exemplified on the title track, which, after about 40 seconds, is injected with a high-pitched, gritty guitar riff that's actually really memorable. With relatively long songs to boot, Son Of The Mourning usually incorporates some of everything, although certain songs, for example 'to Accept On Face Value", are particularly heavy on the melodic side with almost Deftones-like rhythms.
Son Of The Mourning's recent involvement in more chaotic music seems to suit them well and works with their soothing melodies. I think this is a formula worth working with, and if they could combine their different styles in a more concise and therefore memorable manner, they'd probably catch on with a wider array of listeners. In any case, this is decent. If you like expansive metal/hardcore with plenty of singing and clean instrumentation, Son Of The Mourning could be of interest. Once again, I can hope they naturally progress in the way I'd like them to and clean up some bits of sloppiness, but for now I'll wait and enjoy what I've got. 6/10
Rockmidgets.com (Jon)
Hailing from Salford in Manchester, Son Of The Mourning deal in melodic hardcore in the style of Poison The Well, riddled with melodies in among the rather intense guitar twiddling. This is in fact their second EP release off their own backs, the first (the 'Lambton Road' EP) gaining them a lot of success in local circles, along with a real work ethic, working their backsides off to get their music noticed around the country. All the gigging has really paid off as well, as this is a far more accomplished and polished EP than the first offering. with tracks like 'To Accept On Face Value' showing a real maturity starting to emerge in the band, swapping from crushing hardcore riffs to much more mellow, intricate guitar textures from John Simpson with vocalist Dave Moon switching correspondingly from a shattering scream to singing at a moment's notice.
Standout track on this EP for me is second track 'Jehru', with guest vocals from Ian Breen (lead singer of local Mancunian legends Scissorfist), which - while the shortest track on this EP at a mere 3 minutes 11 seconds - has the kind of opening riff and vocal duelling between Moon and Breen that'll get stuck in your head for ages. And that's the great thing about Son Of The Mourning - despite being undeniably brutal in places, the tunes are in no way compromised, which is of course the most important thing in any music.
Keep an eye out for SOTM - they'll probably be playing down your way soon, and they're definitely worth a gander. 5/5
