Though you will almost want to instantly despise The Darker Shades of White, the latest from Corpus Christi, it's really, I mean really, hard not to like what these guys have come up with here on their debut. First off, let's get this straight, there's not an ounce of originality on this CD. That's right, Corpus Christi basically uses the winning formula of acts like All That Remains, As I Lay Dying, Killswitch Engage, Unearth, and perhaps Misery Signals, which is a hyperactive mixing of metal, hardcore, and pop, more commonly known as metalcore. Listening to The Darker Shades of White, you'll hear these bands at every juncture, however, despite the fact that Corpus Christi obviously have yet to find their own special way as of yet, most of the tracks here are damn catchy, contain plenty of memorable chorusus, feature some solid guitar crunch-o-rama, effective screams & growls, and lots of pummeling drum work. When these guys want to be heavy, they certainly can churn out some brutality ("Until the Day"), and they obviously have listened to their Iron Maiden, At the Gates, and In Flames records ("Baptized in Fire" and "Parade of Scars") as evidenced by all the dual guitar harmonies flying around. Tunes like "Western Downfall" and "Marilyn" combine both the clean & harsh vocals quite well, and the former has some pretty punishing breakdowns which adds in the mosh factor to the proceedings.
One thing that plagues the CD is that most of the songs follow a very similar pattern, so once you've gotten to the last couple of tunes on the album, you start to feel like you've heard them already earlier in the tracklisting. Corpus Christi seem to have all the tools for success-they can write a memorable hook, can crank out some headbanging arrangements, and they are all talented enough on their instruments, so with a little bit of seasoning, and by adding some other styles and variety into their songs, they should hopefully come out from under the shadows of the bands they so eagerly emulate, and really make an impact on their own.
Track Listing
1. Parade Of Scars 3:37
2. It's Always Darkest Before The Dawn 3:19
3. Marilyn 4:09
4. Baptized In Fire 4:50
5. Until The Day 4:52
6. Fight For Your King 4:19
7. Starry Nights Cloudy Hearts 4:11
8. Western Downfall 4:12
9. Sacrifice 3:59
10. I Will Never Forget 3:49
11. Prodigal 3:25
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