Within the Ruins

Within The Ruins are that hyperactive, boisterous kid at your family gathering: at first endearing for his/her antics, soon you wish they'd settle down. Unfortunately, when they finally sit still to play their videogames — the music of which resembles that of Within The Ruins — they play at full volume. This isn't to say that Within The Ruins are a bad band — far from it. Rather, they play with such an intense level of melodic technicality that, like your young relative, you eventually find yourself worn down. This is in stark contrast to much of their deathcore brethren, whom dumb down their music to numbing mediocrity, creating a yearning for an ounce of thoughtful songwriting. Listened to sparingly, or in the right mindset, Elite is as brilliant as it is excessive. And even when you find yourself needing a break, you'll soon crave more. It's just perplexing that their biggest asset is also (occasionally) their downfall.