Beloved - Failure On
(c) 2003 SolidState Records
www.belovedrock.com

I've sat here for at least five minutes trying to think of a terribly clever, or at least interesting way to start this review. I can't think of one. So I'll start out by saying that Beloved's Failure On is alright. I know a lot of people go nuts for this band, so I've tried to really listen and see what all the hype is about, but I still can't figure it out.

Beloved's sound seems to me a mixture of the passionate singing vocals of BoySetsFire, the melodic breakdowns of Evergreen Terrace and screams a la Atreyu. If you like those three bands, chances are Beloved will tickle your fancy.

There are some catchy parts on the CD, but for the most part, the songs all sound really similar to me. A few really decent melodic parts stand out, I love the singing vocals, but the breakdowns and screams seem out of place at times, and are just kind of bland. Even for metalcore. I wonder what it would sound like to keep all Beloved's music the same, but leave the screaming out altogether. Breakdowns with no lyrics whatsoever? On ANY of the breakdowns? Now THAT would be something different.

I found it interesting that the lyrics were pretty straightforward. Normally metalcore bands try to get all artsy and poetic on you, but Beloved could be a regular old hardcore band. And you'll run back to your circle of friends/They won't help you now/We drew a line in the sand/And this time it's now or never.

The artwork was done by Asterik Studio. It's consistent with the CD: really good parts, and some mediocre parts. The typography is NICE, I especially like the way the lyrics and liner notes are laid out. Hot hot. The actual artwork is a little run-of-the-mill. Swirly thingy's over faces and eyeballs (Agony Scene, anyone?).

Overall, I give this CD a C+. It's about average, and will please the average kid. If you like really melodic metalcore with a few breakdowns that you won't get hurt moshing to, then pick this one up. If you enjoy metalcore but want something a little more... uh... dangerous, then I recommend picking up the new Figure Four CD Suffering The Loss on SolidState Records. It rips. Seriously.