Prepared Like a Bride (PLaB) are a 5-piece metal/hardcore outfit with technical atmospheric sampling,from the laid back Gold Coast, Australia. The band formed in 2009 and since their birth have grown a strong fan base Australia wide and are now hearing of ripple effects across the globe! Early 2011 saw Prepared Like a Bride set off on their debut Australian Tour and leave behind an imprint of what was to come. A highly energetic standard of stage performance and top quality, tight, live music.

Blood Red is one of the most punishing tracks on the record. The riffs are fast and frantic, the bass is punchy and more audible than most current metalcore acts, and the drums are tight and have plenty of variation throughout the track; PLAB is able to find a nice balance between melodic hardcore and post rock in these brief moments of solace.

2AM follows much the same pattern as its’ predecessor, but where the track truly shines is in the vocals of frontman Ryan Bowles. The song fits in nicely with the title of the album, in that lyrically the song touches on the death of a friends’ father and having to comfort that person so close to the vocalist. The subject becomes obviously personal in the sheer intensity of Bowles vocals.

Breathe he simple idea of breathing in oxygen reminds us that we really need to live in the present moment and keep focusing back to the positive thoughts. This is also the idea behind meditation. Musically this is very haunting and compelling with Ryan screaming “Just breathe”, delivering the message in a very in your face manner. Halfway through, the song gives way to some beautiful melodic shifts which are slightly hypnotic, meshing with intense hardcore breakdowns.

9.11.12 a very short track with an audio sample from a pilot relaying a message to the Tower. It details the tragic accident which resulted in Ryan’s father passing away and this segways into the next track.

Overcomer, is a clear standout track on the album. Breakdowns, techie parts, melodies, a chilling chorus, and inspiring lyrics are what you should look to find in this cut.
Lyrically Overcomer encompasses everything the album is about; overcoming the tough things in this life and not letting circumstances or situations define a person. In the case of this song, the event to be overcome is the death of Bowles’ father in a tragic plane crash. Despite the tragedy the frontman faced, he proclaims, “It can’t rain all the time, it won’t hold us down. I am an overcomer. I will fight till the end, forever by your side. I am an overcomer.”

Ocean Tide This track is truly a testament to the dexterity each member possesses as numerous times transitions such as the aforementioned one take place, both vocally and instrumentally.

Through Hell  looks at a situation that happened  in the united states a short time ago. The Castro kidnapping case in Ohio is the lyrical inspiration for the track, taking the perspective of one of the women locked in the perpetrators house.

Alone  is musically one of the heaviest on the record and beckons the listener to blast it on full power. The leads found on the track are mind numbing, while the rhythm section is satisfyingly crunchy. Drummer Jonny Bower has a standout performance as he breaks out a plethora of beats.

The lyrical side of Alone focuses again on Bowles’ father. This time he uses the song more as a venting method than a bold anthem about moving on. Bowles furiously howls, “How could you take my father from me? Were you jealous of our love? Did you watch us from above until one day you’d had enough? I can’t see your plan in this and I don’t feel your love right now.I don’t want to meet him as my brother. I just loved him as my father.”. The conclusion of the track, however finds Bowles in a more stable place as he finds some closure and proclaims, “I know I’ll see you on the other side…”.

1955 his song is mainly about acceptance, the passing of the torch from father to son and working out how to take care of the people around us and our family. The clean vocals from Connor are really beautiful here and contrast really well with Ryan’s deeply passionate screams.

Unforseen his single got released quite a few months back and is included here. It is about believing in yourself and discovering the goals in our lives with an unforeseen path in front of us, the future veiled and masked. Despite being a separate single, it actually fits on this album quite well as it matches the intensity and themes of the other tracks.

Silent Fear  wraps the whole album up extremely nicely. The track has a hauntingly beautiful refrain of, “The fear of fear is what confines us. The fear of fear will not defines us”. The mixture of melody and heaviness present on this track are a great summary of what came before it all rolled into one satisfying closer.

Overall:
“Overcomer” is the first full length album form Prepared Like a Bride and is an impressive mix of crushingly heavy and surprisingly melodic. All of this by powerfull vocals and immensely heartfelt lyrics. This album is a fantastic addition to any metalcore fans’ music collection.

Rating: 8/10

Written by Stingray

Tracklist:
1. Blood Red
2. 2AM
3. Breathe
4. 9.11.12
5. Overcomer
6. Ocean Tide
7. Through Hell
8. Alone
9. 1955
10. Unforeseen
11. Silent Fear

Band members:
Ryan Bowles – Vocals,
Rumond Dassonville – Lead Guitar,
Michael Purcell – Guitar,
Connor Grant – Bass,
Ryan Salisbury – Drums

Discography:
“Within World’s apart” (EP) 2010
“A Dangerous Journey” (EP) 2012
“Overcomer ”  (CD) 2014

Record Label: Faction & Sony Music, Feb. 2014

Weblinks: Facebook / Myspace / Big Cartel / Twitter

Video below ‘Overcomer’