Capsize

A Reintroduction: The Essence of All That Surrounds Me

BY Branan RanjanathanPublished Jul 20, 2016

5
Capsize dive headfirst into a nostalgia spiral with their latest record, throwing back to the neo-metalcore wave a decade past, paying heavy tribute to Underoath and Drop Dead, Gorgeous. The album's title — itself a throwback to the elongated song names of yore — is quite apt. Capsize have completely abandoned their former melodic hardcore sound and have "reintroduced" themselves here, and although it is a faithful reproduction, it comes off as campy and rather lacklustre at times.
 
Opener "XX (Sew My Eyes)" and "Tear Me Apart" are some of the stronger tracks, on which Daniel Wand's new vocal stylings take cues from Spencer Chamberlain and Daniel Stillman, cycling between clean singing and half-spoken screams that fray at the ends. The songs are well structured, complete with breakdowns highlighted by dissonant guitar shots, and the hooks are catchy, but they begin to plateau as the album moves along.
 
Many songs, like "Favourite Secret," are instrumentally sound, but are undercut by watered down choruses in which Wand's clean singing falls flat. "Split My Soul" starts with a riff and vocal line that sound like they could be from They're Only Chasing Safety, but less impressive, gimmickier sounding cuts like "You Got the Wrong Idea" undercut any momentum built by songs like the former. Capsize's Reintroduction is hit-and-miss as a whole, but it's a worthwhile listen for fans of their influences.
(Equal Vision)

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