In an oversaturated genre such as metalcore, bands must do something in order to stand out amongst the crowd if they want to get noticed and develop a strong following. While The Sick and Suffering, Ace Augustine’s sophomore full-length record but first on Red Cord Records, has a very clean sound and is well produced, unfortunately it doesn’t rise above the crowd. One of the issues is that Ace Augustine is stuck trying to serve two masters. There are times when the hardcore side of the band just gets going, only to be interrupted by the melodic singing. That’s fine, but on this record it seems out of place. I know the goal is to be dynamic and varied with the songs and structure, but it comes across as too much of an identity crisis. Ace Augustine has recently undergone a substantial lineup change with the members of its band, so it makes sense that they haven’t quite figured out their best sound. However, for a sophomore album and new lineup, this is a very good place to start.
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