BornBroken: The Healing Powers of Hate

Strong debuts are always special; there's magic in discovering a new musical voice and in recognizing in that voice something new and exciting. BornBroken's debut album The Healing Powers of Hate is very strong and deserves a careful listen from beginning to end. It brings high levels of energy and aggression to the music but doesn't get bogged down in anger for its own sake. Instead, BornBroken seeks to discover a balance between the negative and the positive aspects of living in a broken world. The album shares much of the same characteristics of music of its kind, but it wears them well and keeps them fresh. The production is also very bright and crisp, giving the sound an extra energy sometimes lost on other recordings.

I didn't go over the lyrics carefully, but things seem generally positive here. The point appears to be that the world is broken and will only get worse but that human beings can make the most of things despite all that. Many bands deal with apocalyptic themes—these guys certainly do—but they try to find the positive qualities in the world despite terrible circumstances.

My only critique of this album is that it sometimes leans too much on general metalcore influences. At times, that style has a predictable quality that falls all too quickly into a rut. Fortunately, the guys in BornBroken do their best to elevate these moments, giving them plenty of energy. I liked the way they broke up the staccato bursts with heavy riffs. The album also has many introductory sections that feature clips from the media, usually things that deal with contemporary world events. I especially liked the clip before "Old News" because of the way it captured the frustration of flipping through television stations only to find that there's nothing to watch.

BornBroken deserves broad attention. They've already made a very big impression in their native Montreal, both for their live performances as well as their music in general. I honestly don't know that much about the Montreal metal scene, but I do know that it is getting bigger and more competitive. For these guys to emerge as a local favorite suggests something of their overall quality.

Give this one a spin.

Track Listing:
1. Can't Quiet the Riot
2. Old News
3. Anger of the Day
4. I Will Rise
5. Control
6. It Has Begun
7. Birth of the Broken
8. Bleed the Sky
9. Reborn from the Ashes
10. The Healing Powers of Hate

Added: June 5th 2013
Reviewer: Carl Sederholm
Score:
Related Link: Band Facebook Page
Hits: 1844
Language: english

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