He Is Legend

After a well-received EP for Tribunal, He Is Legend dive right the hell in with their debut full length, the mega-ambitious I Am Hollywood. A record divided into four distinct acts and one grand finale, the songs, for the most part, actually hold up the thematic structure the band has clearly intended with its artwork and tracklisting. With a fairly obvious message about the hollow nature of both Hollywood productions and Hollywood people, the album hammers home its message through pummelling riffs, low-pitched growls, and oddly enough, a whole lot of singing. Much like label mates Underoath, who gave up some of their hardcore bite in favour of a more melodic sound, He Is Legend aren’t afraid to punch up their sound with a hooky chorus or gentle breakdown, something that expands their sonic palette much further beyond the more limited sound of their first release. While this new-found appreciation of singing sounds is great at times, it also makes for an incredibly scattered effort, where big metal riffs and cookie monster vocals collide with what could easily be the next Velvet Revolver single. While the record is book ended by two unbelievably great songs, "The Seduction” and title track "I Am Hollywood,” the rest of the album struggles a little bit more to find its voice. When it does, however, the result is mesmerising.