Arise and Ruin is an up and coming act out of Canada who have recently released their debut album on Victory Records. With a cover that looks like something Mastodon would use, I looked forward to checking out what metal was contained within.
After experiencing the album, I have to say there are no Mastodon comparisons to be made. The better comparison may be to someone like Unearth, but that could reflect poorly on Unearth or put undeserved praise on Arise and Ruin. I am sad to report that while there are moments of interest throughout The Final Dawn, it is a merely mediocre metal release that you are more likely to get bored with partway through than you are to begin singing its praises.
Arise and Ruin play the line between hardcore and metal while never fully embracing either. To the undiscerning ear, there are many that will likely enjoy the brand of chais that they are offering. No, I do not mean that as an insult. Some listeners are easily satisfied, I know I have been in that camp on more than a few occasions. There is also sure to be a group of people who do not have a wide breadth of experience to be able to separate the chaff, not to say that I have a terribly wide experience, but when I listen to The Final Dawn, I know there are stronger albums I could be listening to.
The chief problem with the album is the vocals. Ryan Bauchman does not exhibit any range whatsoever; it's stuck in neutral. The lyrics are screamed in monotone and at some moments it sounds as if his voice is about to give out. The more I listened, the more his voice simply grated on my nerves. It was more of an interruption of the music than an addition.
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