Coldrain - Until the End (2014)^{Release ID: 23285}

Until the End is a mini-album to expect after the original edition of The Revelation if you don't have its international edition, released over a year after the original album. The EP spawned from when the band was signed to Raw Power, a UK company leading the way for Bullet for My Valentine and Bring Me the Horizon, the former band Coldrain toured with in Europe. Coldrain would also be signed to Hopeless Records in the US, accelerating their global popularity.

Until the End, an EP that can almost be considered a spin-off to The Revelation, is a rich blend of catchy and heavy elements that have almost always stuck with them to the present. Though the international fans might not be used to this change in position...

"Aware and Awake" shows how beyond awesome this band is, especially when you're getting through the tough times of the virus. Some of the best lyrics here include "you can't break me, you can't take me down", "without the word you say, stuck inside my head", and "this life is not a race, you'll find your own escape". This is the music global fans were waiting for, more than Bullet for My Valentine or Amon Amarth. Absolutely exciting! Next up, the aggressive "Evolve" shows Masato once again having his angelic singing and demonic screaming. Masato really f***ing unleashes his singing power in "You Lie", a bit like Simple Plan's "Your Love is a Lie" but heavier and more powerful.

Speaking of Simple Plan, mix elements of that band with Demon Hunter and you get "Fade Away", a solid highlight! "March On" ticks like a timebomb before you realize that the only explosions here are the occasional bursts of heaviness. "House of Cards" is so good for a slow tune, and the only song that's not in the international edition of The Revelation. Again the songs that are exclusive to one album or another are some of the best!

If you only have the original edition of The Revelation from Japan, I highly recommend getting this EP to complete this mini-saga! Sure one or two of the songs could've been done better, but you know what they say, nothing ventured, nothing gained....

Favorites: "Aware and Awake", "Fade Away", "House of Cards"