Of Mice & Men - Echo (2021)Release ID: 32935
This golden modern metalcore quarter have made another grand offering, and this time they made it out of 3 EPs released throughout 2021. That technique would be tried out a couple years later by Atreyu for their own album The Beautiful Dark of Life. Anyway, the band that currently consists of bassist/vocalist Aaron Pauley, guitar duo Phil Manansala and Alan Ashby, and founding drummer Valentino Arteaga, have been in the music zone since their second album The Flood (we do not speak of their debut).
It was during their tour for Earthandsky when the pandemic came and cut short that tour and many others. The band decided to use the time to do some creative writing and recording, with each member recording in separate homes and sharing what they've made to each other via Zoom and Twitch. Pauley has proven his production talents by mixing and mastering the songs in 3 EPs; Timeless, Bloom, and Ad Infinitum. As a result, we have another metalcore album reaching perfect heights, Echo! It's tied with The Flood as one of the band's best albums, continuing the throwback to that album in Earthandsky while digging up some of the catchy melody of Defy.
The Timeless part of the album opens the title track of that EP, introducing us to this new side of Of Mice & Men. We look at life through wires and hope for light in these dark situations. You can really feel that storm of emotion! We have more melancholic writing in "Obsolete" that comes out as a brutal banger while having the usual choruses worth singing along to. The synth atmosphere fits well in the heavy yet melodic "Anchor", which open-minded music listeners shouldn't take for granted.
Raining down to start the Bloom part of the album is the earth-quaking "Levee". The heavenly title track of that EP is relatable for anyone suffering the loss of a family member. You can't turn back the clock, let alone turn it back so the ones you lost could return. We can at least be grateful for what we have. Sure you may look back at the negative past, but just remember, you have a more optimistic future to look forward to. If you're currently alive and listening to this album or reading this review for it, you've already survived the pandemic and that's a good thing. The headbanging "Pulling Teeth" is more aggressive, while still having clean vocals that shine here.
Kicking off the Ad Infinitum part of the album, "Mosaic" has philosophical questions like "Can we carry the weight of our humanity and find a remedy for our misguided misanthropy?" It's also one of the heaviest songs here, to get you ready for a moshpit battle. The ballad-ish "Fighting Gravity" is the start of the album's dramatic climax. Darkness and light engage in a showdown as the instrumentation broadens to include ethereal synths going well with the heavy riffs and poetic lyrics. The title track of the entire album is an amazing track and what got me up to checking out this band for real! Aaron Pauley's vocals sound awesome here. The album ends with the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young cover "Helplessly Hoping". Surprising yet a soft beautiful way to end this offering.
Whether or not you've already heard a lot of what they've offered before, Echo is still an impressive album with crushing bangers and melodic pieces. This masterpiece is for any fan of metalcore and Of Mice & Men, reigning supreme in the Pauley era!
Favorites: "Timeless", "Obsolete", "Bloom", "Fighting Gravity", "Echo"
