Insect Song - Beyond The Embrace

The second and currently most recent release from this American band is less impressive than its predecessor, but at the same time more individual, even if it takes a few more obvious influences to set them apart after the relatively pure In Flames worship of the first album. Shawn Gallagher's vocals are now performed almost entirely in his enjoyable clean voice, based in a style reminiscent of Metallica's James Hetfield or more accurately the Hetfield impersonation of Paradise Lost's Nick Holmes, and his yells by contrast sound disappointingly hardcore rather than metal in nature. The guitars have similarly changed, now featuring less lead melodies than ...  Read the complete review