CD Review: Abandoned By Bears – “The Years Ahead” (Victory)
With shredding riffs, pissy snarls and perhaps as much
razor sharp melodies and gang vocals as you can possibly cram into a dozen
tracks, The Years Ahead, the latest release
from Victory Records’ newest signee Abandoned By Bears, might call to mind a
slew of bands that have come before them, be assured that these Swedish
purveyors of easycore are anything but a mere carbon copy. The Years Ahead stays true to ‘core form, occupying an area that
falls somewhere between bouncy radio-ready candor, the type you most often hear
in desolate Warped Tour parking lots (“Good Luck Next Year,” “No Rush”) and destructive,
vitriol-fueled pit inducers (“Out Of Bounds,” “True Colors”). The standout “Act
As If” offers the best of both worlds, devolving from an introspective ballad
into pure mayhem, while the penultimate “Bad Luck” sounds like Motion City
Soundtrack and Four Strong got together and had a sonic baby and the closer
“Compromise” introduces some djent-y riffs into the mix. As we careen towards
summer, it’s time to get those warm weather soundtracks in order – you know the
ones. Just makes sure you leave some space for Abandoned By Bears because The Years Ahead is fun as hell.
Grade: B+
Go Download: “Bookmarks”
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