Bury Tomorrow

Bury Tomorrow are the rare metalcore band whose choruses are more than an annoying break from the thundering heavy passages. Instead, the masterfully crafted, catchy choruses on The Union of Crowns briefly raise the songs from metal mediocrity to post-hardcore greatness. This is mostly due to the surprisingly strong singing, which is reminiscent of Alexisonfire and A Day To Remember, with just enough Evergreen Terrace thrown in to give it an edge. Though the strongest hooks kick off the album (most notably 'Redeemer," followed by "The Maiden" and "Lionheart"), they remain impressive throughout. The group even ditch their need to fulfill some sort of heaviness quota on closer "A Curse" and shine all the brighter for it. Even brief flourishes of metallic promise, such as "Abdication of Power," can't erase the question: "What would happen if Bury Tomorrow ditched the metal, focused on the hooks in their choruses and made an entirely post-hardcore album?"