blessthefall Witness (Fearless) Released October 2009 Reviewed by Robert Ham

Style: Growling hardcore rock

Top tracks: "Stay Still," "Hey Baby, Here's That Song You Wanted"

In a nutshell: In their first album since the much-publicized parting of ways with original lead singer Craig Mabbitt, this Arizona quintet sticks closely to the formula that helped propel them into the mainstream: compressed screamo hard rock that swings wildly from rage to pleading desperation. So close in fact that almost all every song here slips into a maddening pattern of big crescendos exploding into cloud-breaking moments and back again. It all but wastes the accomplished playing of the musicians here, particularly the dual guitar attack of Eric Lambert and Mike Frisby, who admirably trade piercing riffs and stinging fretboard runs throughout.

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