Abandoned By Bears – “Headstorm” (Victory Records)
The evolution of Abandoned By Bears, one of Victory’s
best and brightest rosterees, in the two years since their previous album The Years Ahead to now on Headstorm, is something to behold.
They’ve redefined their sound with the addition of more aggression and
maturity, all without sacrificing their penchant for melody. After starting out
Headstorm business as usual with the
hard-hitting “So Far Gone,” Abandoned By Bears deliver a truly memorable
performance on the album’s title track, an infectious bounce-fest that should
register as one of the best tracks they’ve ever put to wax yet. “Strangers” is
an utter riff-fest and sounds like the next big A Day To Remember single, an
absolute ferocious pace that continues onto the biting “Borderline,” a track
packed with grating barks and raucous breakdowns. “Blurry Vision” combines the
best of both worlds, pairing scathing vocal retorts with expansive hooks,
“Fervor” brings the nostalgic lamentations of lost love (‘Ignite this fire,
you’re all that I desire / And it’s been so long since I felt anything at all,’
the band emotes), and the band conveys quite the emotional spate on “Outrun
Reality” (‘I want to sleep forever / No contact with the world forever / Days
turn into weeks and months turn into years / this feeling of emptiness it never
seems to leave,’ they sing). Abandoned By Bears save some of their outright
best work for last on the closing “Greyscale,” combining cutting screams,
expansive melodies and ardent breakdowns to bring a fitting end to Headstorm. Abandoned By Bears is not
just another pop-punk act – press play on Headstorm
and come experience why.
Go Download: “Strangers”
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