Lychway is a very new band forming in early 2011, and this is their first release as a band. Already they've made a name for themselves over in England touring with many bands up until of the release of their new EP. Due out in August, and offered up for free online, Lychway is already a step ahead with their music, and trying to reach an even greater audience.
Metalcore is almost never something I enjoy on first listen, and if I ever do get to enjoy it, it usually takes some time. But In Search is a very quality release so it was easy for me to get into it early on. Songs such as "Opening Remarks" and "Hellbound" are among my favorites on the EP because of the fact that they are pretty melodic. Both songs start out with great guitar riffs and then transfer into okay vocal sections. In "Opening Remarks" the vocals come in pretty smoothly, especially for metalcore, and are kept low in the mix at first almost like a warm up to the actual vocals. This is really cool, and I actually enjoy some of the lyrics on this album, even though I don't really know what they're saying, but that's ok. Another good song is "Space Inbetween (Interlude)" which is totally instrumental, not something you find much in metalcore, and features some very good playing overall by the band.
The amazing thing about this release, though is that is includes keyboards. Most metalcore bands that I've heard in the past are your usual meat and potatoes mix of guitar, bass, and drums and not much else besides vocals. The addition of this fourth instrument adds a nice touch that makes the album more enjoyable than most other releases of this kind. The production is pretty clean, and suites the album very well.
Lychway definitely has a bright future ahead of them and has shown great musicianship on this album. I can not say it enough, but metalcore doesn't garner much love from me but this album is amongst the best that I've heard in awhile so Lychway gets 3.5 stars.
Track Listing
1. Opening Remarks (1:29)
2. Whispers (2:47)
3. Hellbound (4:05)
4. Passing the Same Faces, Different Days (4:09)
5. Space Between (Interlude)
6. In Search (4:29)
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