Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Album Review: Verse The End



On their debut EP Heavy Hearts And Counterparts, Nyack, New York-based quintet Verse The End bring together the often disparate worlds of pop, rock and metal. Combining pop melodies, crushing riffs and metallic power chords, the band creates a sound reminiscent of Killswitch Engage and Jimmy Eat World, or the Foo Fighters at their heaviest.

Double time bass drums abound on "Garden State Romance," while gentle piano keys glide alongside gargantuan guitars and retching screams on "Misery Missouri." Soaring harmonies and winding riffs mark "Scratching The Surface," which also incorporates a bit of synthesizer.

"Ripe With Envy," the EP's last track, switches up the formula slightly, shifting tempos from waltz-style swing to driving aggression. Lyrically the band consistently turns to themes of betrayal, heartbreak and other heavy-hearted material. "Seeing you with him/Has me exposed/Feeling diposed," vocalist Michael Berean sings on "Ripe With Envy" while "Garden State Romance" offers a similarly dim view of romance. "Just when I thought/You were something/Something I could hold onto/I'm finding mistakes/And fault lines."

 While the tracks can occasionally sound a little samey, Heavy Hearts and Counterparts is a hard, hooky gem that showcases a talented band with plenty of potential to become the next big thing.

4/5

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