Before There Was Rosalyn have released two ep’s within a couple months over the summer with a re-release of 2008’s As Far As the Moon From the Sun coming out in May and Hypocrites with their first new music in 15 years coming out in July. Following this the band has played some shows with the likes of Zao and Darkness Divided and will be playing a pre-fest show at the legendary Furnace Fest. The Houston, Texas band self-described as being a ministry first and a band second on their Victory Records page, definitely has the mid-2000’s hardcore/metalcore sound and that carried forward into Hypocrites which does not sound dated.
Immediately, into the ep, it’s obvious this is metalcore, and it does remind me a bit of early Norma Jean in some respects. In “A Plural Form of Loneliness”, I do love the passion in delivering the lyrics in general and especially…”I am not a good man, I can’t save you…I am not a prophet or a savior”…. The song twists and turns and some of the guitar riffs and fills do hearken back to earlier days in metalcore. I also appreciate the production and mixing which allows instruments and vocals to come through cleanly and not be buried in a wall of sound. Along those lines the simple use of silence in “My Silence was a Gift” shows a great ear for arrangements and the simplicity adds to the song. “Flame:Eternal” is one of the heaviest tracks and from the band “is a tribute to the eternal flame that is the bond of love. One that transcends tragedy – transcends death. A song born of grief six years in the making. A song that could never say enough, but gives us a place to start in remembering a life gone too soon.
As someone who is not a fan of metalcore, this album won me over even with the requisite breakdowns. The combination of good arrangements and songcraft, solid musicianship, driving heaviness and passion make this a great ep.
Rating 9/10
Written by John Jackson
Track List
- A Plural Form of Loneliness
- My Silence was a Gift (feat. Shane Raymond of Close Your Eyes)
- Defy the Stars
- Flame:Eternal
- Between the Grave and the Sea (feat. Steve Tinnon of Within the Ruins)
Released July 24, 2024
Record Label The Charon Collective
Web Links: Bandcamp
Lyric video for “Flame:Eternal”
About As Far as the Moon from the Sun…
“This was a collection of songs written about finding our place in the world, & what it means to embrace your authentic self in a world so bent on chaos. This was a record written about grace, hope, redemption, & how it is still possible to become something so much more than the sum of its parts,” shares vocalist Carlos Salazar.
To me compared to Hypocrites, this sounded more like a demo, which makes sense given the age and I can hear similarities to Liberate Te Ex Inferis (Zao) in the song “1837” and Nodes of Ranvier in “They Laughed”, which sort of make sense given the timing and if nothing else points to potential influences. This ep serves as a great reminder of where the band came from and illustrates how their approach to music has matured over the last 15 years.
Rating: 7/10
Written by John Jackson
Track List
- A Rhetoric in Writing
- A Shadow of the Things we Know
- 1837
- A Momentary Contemplation of Distance, Silence, and All that it Entails
- The Day February Should Have Ended
- They Laughed at Jules Verne, Too
Web Links Bandcamp
Released May 24, 2024
Record Label The Charon Collective
Band Members
Trent Gibson : Guitar
Carlos Salazar : Vocals
Chris Graham : Bass
Sanders Reid : Guitar
Wes Johnson : Drums
Web links Facebook