An Elegy

Embrace the Rain

An Elegy (UK) dropped a sludgy, muddy, all-around-heavy bomb of songs with their Embrace the Rain EP, definitely living up to the band’s self-proclaimed classification of metalcore. Unfortunately, the album does not really go beyond the confines of that label. These six songs have the common foundation of heavy chugs, dissonant riffs, mid-range screams, and decent clean vocals, but it’s clear that An Elegy does not really break through with new contributions to the genre.

There are no instrumental breaks, clever lyrics, or exceptionally original parts in general throughout the album. Songs such as the title track, “Embrace the Rain,” almost make it seem like the band is trying too hard to fit that exact metalcore tag, so much so that the entire song backfires. The off-key clean vocals, whiny screams and delayed guitar effects as the song chugs on can reach cringeworthy. After the labor of the first track, the overall listening experience for Embrace the Rain trumps the awkward moments scattered throughout. You just have to listen to a new band getting their sea legs.

For what it’s worth, the album is not all that bad; these are some young guys who are just starting to get a feel for what they want to do musically. I’m not saying you should shrug this band off as “too generic” before even listening to them. Instead, I would encourage you to give this album a listen and remember exactly what you heard. Let it sink in. There’s a real foundation in their talent. It’s not the best thing you have ever heard, but give the band some time. An Elegy has enough potential to crank out solid albums after this EP. No band starts out perfectly. After some more time and writing gets under the belt, the best of An Elegy is yet to come.