Now this is a brutal record. For me, Misery Signals have always been one of those bands bubbling away under the surface of the metalcore scene, overshadowed by a number of other bands who seem to have struck it lucky at the right time. Fall Out Boy love them and reference them all the time, which has certainly helped their stock rise, but I think 'Mirrors' is a great record in its own right and is one that will help them forge to the top of the ladder within their respective genre of music.
'Mirrors' doesn't compromise any musical belief, or go 'poppy' in return for some MTV airplay. While there are definitely melodic moments here, there's not one song that you'd think has been written with the radio in mind. 'The Failsafe', for example, sounds huge, has a great vocal melody but is fucking punishing - the riffs sound enormous and the double-time drumming is brutal. I guess there are parts that sound a little like Killswitch Engage throughout the album - more in the dynamics and the way the album sounds rather than a musical influence - and Every Time I Die and Bleeding Through fans will lap this up I'm sure.
The slow burner 'Migrate and the crushing 'One Day I'll Stay Home' are standout tracks - the latter featuring Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump singing the vocal melody in the chorus. But don't let that fool you into thinking this song, or indeed the album, is poppy. It's not. Infact the intensity of 'An Offering To The Insatible Sons Of God (Butcher)' is very impressive indeed. I wouldn't say Misery Signals have come from nowhere, but this is a standout release you may not have expected.
» Official Website
