Written and recorded over two months with guitarist Ruben Alvarez's younger brother Thomas, Southern Hostility is about as back-to-roots as it gets. Upon A Burning Body always had plenty of party spirit (remember their cover of "Turn Down For What?"), but here it's on full display.
This isn't the sound of a band trying desperately to raise their profile. This sounds like a bunch of Pantera and Lamb of God fans playing in a backyard in 2010.
Perhaps this was the best move possible for all involved. UABB's beatdown-heavy style of mainstream metalcore has taken a hit in recent years, with several bands either changing genres completely or, like Whitechapel did on this year's The Valley, maturing into a new version of themselves. Maturity is not the first thing that comes to mind hearing "All Pride No Pain," "Burn" and the crushing "From Darkness". More like a heavier hybrid of Five Finger Death Punch and Hatebreed.
But this is always what Upon a Burning Body have done best. They've successfully recaptured the spirit of their heroes' first wild albums. Southern Hostility seems to literally be just for the fun of it. If that's all you want out of a metalcore record, this is a good one to pick up.
(Seek and Strike)This isn't the sound of a band trying desperately to raise their profile. This sounds like a bunch of Pantera and Lamb of God fans playing in a backyard in 2010.
Perhaps this was the best move possible for all involved. UABB's beatdown-heavy style of mainstream metalcore has taken a hit in recent years, with several bands either changing genres completely or, like Whitechapel did on this year's The Valley, maturing into a new version of themselves. Maturity is not the first thing that comes to mind hearing "All Pride No Pain," "Burn" and the crushing "From Darkness". More like a heavier hybrid of Five Finger Death Punch and Hatebreed.
But this is always what Upon a Burning Body have done best. They've successfully recaptured the spirit of their heroes' first wild albums. Southern Hostility seems to literally be just for the fun of it. If that's all you want out of a metalcore record, this is a good one to pick up.
