concealer. - This Room Could Be Heaven (2026)^{Release ID: 67606}

You know those Instagram/TikTok musicians who declare "We're bringing back 80s thrash!" Yeah, don't be like those guys. If you're gonna bring back an earlier sound, you gotta actually do what has made a genre great in the past, and whether or not it actually brings it all back is the listener's opinion. Don't say, just do. Fortunately, there's one band who, alongside Static Dress, may just be restoring the greatness of 2000s metalcore/post-hardcore, Concealer.

This Room Could Be Heaven is the band's debut after a couple EPs. All of the melody and emotion that has made metalcore and emo 20 to 25 years ago is in here, while making room for some modern heaviness in the riffing.

We already get some vicious intensity in "Vanity, a Fractured Promise", blended with ethereal melody. "Claymore" is an explosive track that would blow you away especially when played through one of the big loudspeakers. Another chaotic standout "Color Slowly Fading" throws in some sincere melody here and there. It sounds almost like if Skycamefalling didn't split up and instead make a second album.

Then there's an electronic interlude in "I", adding in some metal at the end to segue to the next track. "II" is a short heavy track that brings forward some of the electronics from that interlude. Next track "A Quiet Ending" is anything but quiet, showing how well the band master their formula.

Another interlude-ish track, "The Stillness Between Us" has some decent ambient trip-hop. "And the Sunlight Spoke" is one of the best tracks of this emo/metalcore revival. I can listen to that highlight as many times as I want and not get bored. "In This Moment" is one more brief interlude, nothing to do with the similarly-named band. The closing title track pretty much summarizes the greatness of this album and shall leave their listeners wanting more.

So would it be appropriate for Concealer to declare "We're bringing back 2000s emo/metalcore!" with this album? Again, it all depends on the listener's opinion. For me, I say it's a promising contribution to the revival. If they can make it big with this one and future albums, this could be the scene's new era!

Favorites: "Vanity, a Fractured Promise", "Color Slowly Fading", "A Quiet Ending", "And the Sunlight Spoke", "This Room Could Be Heaven"

As I've gotten older, I have become less tolerant for long, overbloated records. I squirm at the idea of an album longer than fifty minutes, especially when it comes from the metalcore scene. And even more so when the album is as blatant a nostalgia grab as This Room Could Be Heaven. by concealer. 

But here's the thing: This Room Could Be Heaven. is concise and straight-to-the-point. "Vanity, a Fractured Promise" starts the album with a bang and the record keeps going for almost the entire time, minus a few atmospheric post-rock passages. Those sections are probably this albums greatest fault, because on a record that runs shorter than half-an-hour, there is no room for meandering. Many of my favourite metalcore and thrash metal albums of the past five years have a no bullshit policy that they follow almost to the letter, and while this record is short and concise, it does not really abide by that policy for long.

That being said, there are some interesting moments here. "Color Slowly Fading" is an early record standout with a nice chorus that could have been borrowed straight out of an old Underoath album. The same can be said for "...And the Sunlight Spoke", which includes one of the few examples of a post-rock bridge actually complimenting the songwriting. On the flipside, the combination of "I" and "II" does not really do it for me. If the band wanted to treat "I" as an interlude, it could have worked, but "II" creates the illusion of being this ruthless hardcore slam, only for that song to subdue into more post-rock nonsense and it becomes a massive letdown.

At the end of This Room Could Be Heaven. I was underwhelmed. I could tell that concealer. have a knack for production and could tell you every miniscule detail about The Opposite of December... A Season of Separation. What pains me is that concealer. do not have that much to say about themselves. 

Best Songs: Vanity, a Fractured Promise, Color Slowly Fading, ...And the Sunlight Spoke

For Fans Of: Skycamefalling, Poison the Well