Review by Shadowdoom9 (Andi) for Greeley Estates - The Death of Greeley Estates (2011)
Welcome to Greeley Estates, a metalcore neighborhood where not many people have stayed for a full decade, all except two guys; Ryan Zimmerman (vocals) and guitarist Brandon Hackenson. Well, no matter the lineup changes, Greeley Estates have managed to make their initial career last 5 albums. The Death of Greeley Estates (same title as their 2005 live DVD) is high on ambition and in perfect consistency despite the amount of tracks, similarly to Trivium's In Waves released the same day!
The album is filled with metalcore heaviness and some background symphonic keys, in contrast to the emocore sound of their earlier material. Bright melodies are still around to counterbalance with the darkness, making a fantastic blend that I enjoy in other bands of a similar style.
The first track "Straitjacket" is just straight-on heaviness in the riffing and drums. The cleans and screams are in great balance, along with some guitar harmonies here and there. Next up, "The Last Dance" delights me even more. The chorus is so beautiful, especially when the clean singing leads you in. Of course, the track strikes hard with the furious verses and gives you an emotional breakdown. Absolutely precious! "Friendly Neighbourhood Visit" has occasional background choir to level up the experimentation. Within the fast rhythm is an ethereal chorus. They really know how to get experimentation in metalcore right. "Bodies" stands out with dark organ and symphonies, alongside clean singing and pummeling drumming. A haunting highlight! Then "The Medic" continues the massive sound with soaring symphonics, guitars, and vocals.
"Thousand Burning Forests" builds up to powerful soloing. "Broken" is a brief interlude in which not a lot of happens though it helps set the mood for the next track. "Leave the Light On" sounds quite sharp in the guitarwork. "Circle the Wagons" has the melodic/heavy blend heard in other metalcore bands like 36 Crazyfists and Oh Sleeper. In fact, Oh Sleeper lead vocalist Micah Kinard guest appears here to give that song a raging punch. "The Reaction" is another relentless highlight with screaming energy. Midway through is an electronic-sounding bridge, and the song ends by reminding you of its dark glory.
"Tonight" continues the darkness in a more accessible pop-ish direction. Despite that, the heaviness is what matters here. "The Postman" is more chaotic while having some groove, similar to Every Time I Die and Harm's Way. Same thing with "Mouth to Mouth" with some TDEP-esque experimentation. Then we have another interlude, "Repaired". It segues to the emotional "December", starting off soft before the instrumentation expands in the buildup then ends on a haunting note.
Greeley Estates made an ambitious album with lots of heaviness and a small bit of softness. The occasional cinematic synths are what makes this masterpiece impressive with its experimentation. Although The Death of Greeley Estates may seem aptly titled for their breakup, they've recently reformed. I say it's their ultimate death and rebirth!
Favorites: "Straitjacket", "The Last Dance", "Bodies", "The Medic", "Circle the Wagons", "The Reaction", "Tonight", "December"