5 Years Rebuilt Back to Form? Oceans Ate Alaska & Miss May I DUAL ALBUM REVIEW

Within the same weekend, these two bands released highly anticipated and honestly, overdue records at 5 years length. Two very different sounding artists with strong fanbases. Do these albums make up for lost time?

Miss May I have been a major group in the scene since their debut in 2009. Carrying two of the best vocalists in metal, Levi Benton + Ryan Neff who have created an excellent dynamic between each other that immensely adds to their craft. Mixed together as a lyrical and instrumental successor to early metalcore bands like As I Lay Dying + Killswitch Engage. All leading to their highly anticipated album number 7, Curse of Existence.

Oceans Ate Alaska, a dynamic Djentcore/Metalcore outfit has a shorter history of being in the scene for 10 years now. The band have surprised with unpredictable time signatures, stuttering guitars, low gutturals matched with soaring cleans, and never-ending guitar chugging. The 3rd album, Disparity hits all of the boxes with a strong showcase

Curse of Existence: The band's previous album, Shadows Inside really put a spotlight on them. The extremely strong title track to kick it off, the lyrics also talk about change "New light will break the shadows inside." Empowering throughout, it does overstay its welcome but the songs change up enough themselves to keep them fresh. Mental health is also a big part of the lyrics here; helping oneself and those they love. The first step into this album, A Smile That Does Not Exist which serves as a good place to start 5 years later with some crushing lyrics. "My obsession With the darkness in my reflection...Breathe in, breathe out; Drown in self-doubt It's always in your head But it's only in your head" The dynamic between Ryan and Levi sounds better than ever, crushing riffs and leaves you wanting more. The following two songs Earth Shaker + Bleed Together start to blend together in terms of mirrored lyrics and serving as an unintentional two parter. Into Oblivion goes to feeling guilt and overthinking about changing the past. It also has one of the band's best choruses and is followed by a song that is equally just as strong; Hollow Vessel is used as a realization to his problems and beginning to assess them. The song continues with another strong chorus while balanced with bone crushing riffs and really pushed to the limit in the last 20 seconds as one of the stronger breakdowns on the album.

Into Free Fall which matches the fast paced drumming and guitars just is another perfect showcase of what Miss May I has to offer over 10 years later. Although, we get into a dip in the album here. Born Destroyers + Unconquered feel like the same song both lyrically and musically. They are an empowering set of songs despite some weaker lyrics "Kill, Kill Everything; All of our demons are running free." Forgivable since the rest of the album so far has been much stronger. The tailend of the album goes to a true highlight, Savior to Self. The track features a one of a kind riff with some strong guitar leads into the traditional chugging. The chorus comes in hot with thrashing guitars and a real call to arms; gets out that alpha mentality! Finally, Bloodshed which feels almost epilogue-ish getting to points of a divided world, a decent closer but could've used a different sound to end on. There are some songs that feel like filler for the previous track. The meaning was already established very well but gets stretched too thin. The majority of the album flows from improving self to improving/taking over the world which is as empowering as the band has been. Happy to say they came back with some of their best material to match Shadows Inside which felt more of a colder album compared to the fiery rampage that Curse of Existence holds. 80% Best: Bleed Together, Savior to Self, Into Oblivion Least Favorite: Born Destroyers, Bloodshed

Disparity: There is a lot of anger, anxiety, and numbness on this record. While lyrically it gets derivative going through the tracklist with constant lyrics about existential doom especially in its angrier tracks. There are some stellar lyrics on top of consistently strong production and instrumentation. The first two tracks tie into each other well as a start to the record. Paradigm kicks off with a lo-fi haunting loop track on top of the galloping kick drums along with the basics to a OAA track the match and catalysts into Nova turning it into the spark. It connects with a reaction to the opener and a slow build up to a memorable breakdown. The start of Metamorph, used as the first single is a perfect re-introduction after the years of radio silence. Bringing James Harrison (Original vocalist) to belt out "Did you miss me?" right off the bat. It plays with lo-fi music throughout and stands out as a highlight for me. Shallow Grave which didn't fully stand out to me; using the same formula. Retreads some ground back in the opening two songs which makes it blend with the album. Sol immediately stands out with thick lo-fi sounds to introduce a warmer, more sincere track. It might be the best song on the record utilizing all the best of the outfit. Halfway through the album now, Dead Behind the Eyes immediately pulls a 180 turning to relentless galloping riffs, vicious vocals especially in the back half, and china cymbals everywhere. While it sounds good, it also goes back to the same territory and just feels unnecessary like the I Prevail feature used as only backing vocals within the last 30+ seconds. Plague Speech is here to drop off the rest of the frantic guitars, wild time signatures, then a hilariously heavy breakdown calling back to early 2010s sound for good ol' time's sake. The most violent song on the record by far, "Spit the poison from your mouth, Asphyxiated by the lies you spout." ; getting it all done on a single heavy track rather than spreading this wicked sound with the other tracks made this stand out much stronger than previous work. The much needed interlude break feels like a calm after the storm as we jump to the tail end of the album. Empty Space has my favorite progression on the album, wonderful guitar tones, and some of the strongest lyrics on the album; Black Holes filled with infinite lust; Cosmic winds that rip through me, Cast adrift without your gravity." New Dawn is one last roundhouse kick before heading out. Gathering the strongest wills asking "Where will you be at the end of it all? All hail a new dawn". Hallucinogen ends the record feeling sedated watching the world fall apart around you; taking the hand you are dealt at face value. As a whole, this is an album that holds up on its own and next to Oceans Ate Alaska's previous two albums. The lyrics didn't kick off until halfway through the album showing Disparity isn't all style but carries substance as well. 75% Best: Empty Space, Plague Speech, Sol Least Favorite: Nova, Shallow Grave