All That Remains ....... Is A good CD!!!!!!

Whoever said that grinding metal and yelling into a microphone wasn't considered music? The Fall Of Ideals by All That Remains was the catalyst of the fame of the band from Illinois. With Tracks like This Calling and Not Alone, this was the powerhouse behind the success of their newest album, Overcome. Overcome is an album that has had an obvious amount of time spent on it and is so technically sound that there are very few flaws in nearly all of the tracks.

The first thing you notice listening to this album, if you've heard earlier ATR, is the vocal intricacy, and how Phil Labonte has obviously put forth a ton of effort into his vocal quality and tone. from the low screams to the clean cut vocals that have such a unique tone, Phil Labonte is deffinately going to new places to affect the band's style, and make it more appealing to the masses. The Pruduction of his voice is improved too. It seems more glassy and smooth than previous albums. Also, the sheer lyrical genius that Phil puts forth in the tracks on this CD is almost unimaginable. They are generalised so they can apply to virtually anyone, but specific enough to create a personal connection to the song. These two factors combined establish a connection with the listener that makes some songs on the album a huge success.

The next noticable thing about this album is the skill and incricacy of the instruments. the melodies of both guitars are impressive by themselves, but when put together they just fit so well and seem to magically create a new more rediculous melody, and is truely amazing to listen to. The guitar solos in this album are not quite up to par with those of The Fall Of Ideals, but they are still insanely rediculous. And the most distinguished member of the band, Jeanne Sagan (bass) is also intricately woven into the guitar chords in a masterful blend of treble and bass. Also the drummer, Jason Costa, is one of the best out there. his impressive beats and patterns with perfectly played fills at breakneck speeds are impressive to even those who do not know much about drums. Together, they make a great blend of both skilled playing, well fitting and placed fills and solos, that make this album enjoyable from virtually any perspective.


though this album did have it's flaws, like believe in nothing, which was an absolute train wreck of a track, this album can be listened to repeatedly and has changed to fit an audience that craves the old All That Remains, and still change the sound enough to attract a new audience, and with this album, they have added to their library of great CDs.