The two lines of figures on the cover are supposed to represent the contrasting feelings that make the album title, Of Love & Lunacy, and provide a unity running throughout its 12 songs. It’s a dichotomy that sets the tone for what follows, as it’s very much an album of two halves: light and dark, heavy and melodic, screaming and ‘clean’ vocals and – not to put too fine a point on it – good and not so good.

On one side, for example, the band can be crunchingly heavy. Witness the opening track, with the same madcap blend of hardcore vocals, thunderous guitars and pounding drums as Every Time I Die, plus a touch of keyboard. On the other, there’s a melodic streak to tracks like ‘In Place Of Hope’ and ‘Recovery’ – the latter of which, along with ‘I Can Revive Him With My Own Hands’, lifted from last year’s If Love Was Born To Die EP. When they combine both sounds, as in ‘The Worst Is Yet To Come’, the album produces some inspiring highlights. Yet again, for every yin there’s a yang, and for every peak comes some run-of-the-mill generic metalcore.

Unfortunately, while they have their moments, and are competent enough to keep up with the competition, Still Remains haven’t yet developed the consistency necessary to truly lift them from the crowd. As a debut though, this album certainly shows promise, and the band’s up-coming UK tour with labelmates Trivium and Three Inches Of Blood should show whether they can cut it in the live arena. For now though, I have mixed emotions.

(3½/5)

Release Date: 02 May 2005

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