It's hard to fault an album like Vainglory, the latest by A Past Unknown, but at the same time, it's hard to praise; it does exactly what it's meant to, no more, no less. The band manage to pair the occasional dissonant, Underoath-esque moment with a more melodic metalcore sound. The hooks, while reminiscent of As I Lay Dying or Miss May I, are less overtly catchy, which is actually a good thing. After all, metal is supposed to be heavy, not pop with breakdowns. However, A Past Unknown also utilize breakdowns to a fault. However, they manage to break up the "chorus, breakdown, repeat" formula with a sludgy, and remarkably heavy, ending to "The Search" and an elegant interlude in "August," but this is still metalcore. Unfortunately, Vainglory is subject to the repetitive trappings of the genre, so while it's difficult to believe the band are unaware of the past of their genre, at least they attempt to spice things up occasionally. (Red Cord)
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