CD Review: Armada – “Of An Ocean”
The old saying goes, ‘the whole is greater than the sum
of its parts,’ which more than applies to Armada, who boast former members of
Modern Day Escape, frontman James Vegas chief among them, and I Woke Up Early
For My Funeral, and their refreshing debut EP Of An Ocean. First things first, Armada is nothing close to a sonic
retread of those acts. Though there are some instances of paint-by-numbers
metalcore here, Armada effectively masks those less memorable moments with a
fresh coat of modern metal on Of An Ocean;
the band comes out firing on all cylinders on infectious yet crushing opener
“Like An Anchor,” early proof the band can pen killer hooks, which holds true
on spastic lead single “Bury The Wolf;” Of
An Ocean gets taken to the next level thanks to the explosive “The Fire The
Flame,” a track driven by djent riffs that even Meshuggah would be proud of,
closer “Riot The Kings” might be the sonic embodiment of Of An Ocean, blending all its hallmarks – driving, pulsating
rhythms, crashing riffs and striking hooks – into one song. Calling all fans of
Atreyu, Throw the Fight and Memphis May Fire – Armada is here and Of An Ocean is a record you need to
hear.
Grade: B+
Go Download: “The Fire the Flame”
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