Remembering Never

Much like label-mates From Autumn To Ashes (but not as pensive) or fellow Floridians Poison The Well (prior to shifting gears with Tear From The Red), Remembering Never ply a nearly seamless synthesis of the damaging and the comforting to create a moving and somewhat disturbing release. While this style of emotional metallic hardcore is gaining in popularity by the second, Remembering Never do it exceptionally well and with overwhelming conviction, even as they touch a little too closely to FATA or PTW throughout She Looks So Good In Red, although they are more complex than PTW. But Remembering Never throws in even more thrash and, at times, comes close to recapturing Machinehead's once battering sound (circa Burn My Eyes). A melange of death, hardcore, thrash, emo and metal influences and scenes, Remembering Never throws in the requisite huge metallic breakdowns and clean acoustic passages to add contrast, while vocalist Pete's frayed screams contrast nicely with his cleaner passages. And while writing a concept album about tormented revenge-fuelled fantasises about ex-lovers may not be political correct in the underground, despite its poetic framing, Remembering Never's sound stands strong as an excellent mix of aggression, mourning, rage and beauty, and we could use a little controversy. It did wonders for Type O Negative.