Blessthefall – See You On The Outside (2013)

My first impression of this new track is that it’s a bit softer than the Blessthefall I am used to, pre-Craig Mabbitts departure (2008). ‘See You on the Outside’ has a serious pop/punk vibe and over the years I have heard a gradual softening in a lot of bands material, Blessthefall are no different.

The chorus however seems to have more bite to it than the start of the track and this brings it back for me. It’s an intense section designed for some good old-fashioned slow motion, head banging and fist clenching. With some good hooks and some classic Blessthefall guitar playing, I imagine this song being amazing live.

I’m not one hundred percent sold on the piano rhythm I think it’s a bit of an over kill, and I long for a bit more of a scream from vocalist Beau Bokan. Also I personally don’t feel any metalcore song is complete without a beatdown/breakdown of some sort, I just don’t feel it with this track.

The song is seemingly flawless, Bokans voice is pristine as always, and it has all the elements of a great single but it just feels like something is missing. I have no goose bumps, I don’t have any strong emotions stirring, I’m waiting on the edge of my seat for some beautifully crafted masterpiece with a perfect combination of brutality and melody, and it doesn’t come. There is no climax to this song, the closest we get is from about 2 minutes 30 into the song, and it drops out into piano and strings. The ending is just as lacklustre and quite frankly as lazy as the rest of the track.

The rest of the Hollow Bodies album is brilliant, this song is just not ‘all that’. Don’t get me wrong it’s a good song and I do like it, it’s just not great.