ALBUM REVIEW: Between Me And The Machine – Resolve
In today’s instant kind of life many people don’t even have the patience to shake a polaroid picture, but French trio RESOLVE have spent five years biding their time and making sure the first album they put out was the sound the band were looking for long term. As a result, Between Me And The Machine, which is set for release on November 26th via Arising Empire, was born with as few imperfections as someone’s first perfect baby.
The album opens with Beautiful Hell; a heavy-set and dense sound from the beginning which makes no apologies for causing you to jump if you have your headphones set to a slightly higher volume thanks to the predictable warm-up style intros that have been plaguing metalcore releases for several years now. With a strong distorted guitar and bass wall, the vocals work hard to break through in the first 45 seconds to be heard over the top, before the supporting instruments quietly back down and allow more intertwining of keys and that smooth, raspy vocal line which sounds so effortless in comparison to the screaming that follows. The track very calmly and confidently says: “we’re here, and what!”
Following on to track two is one of the band’s singles released earlier this year, Seasick Sailor. Carrying on the punch of the previous track but weaving in storytelling and melodic vocal switches between raucous screaming and smooth alto with no faltering, it levels up the album so far, providing change and development to their sound. This only continues on third track Sing Me To Sleep, which draws on the band’s experience of releasing an acoustic EP – less is very often more. It starts soft, showcasing falsetto from lead vocalist Anthony Dilliberto as tinkling electronics and uncomplicated guitar riffs draw you in before building the elements – bringing in that well-known distortion for all parts and then adding in layers on top. This grows until you end up with something that feels somewhat anthemic.
Littered throughout the record are a number of singles which fans of the band may already have heard, no doubt released as the result of impatience with the world becoming so fragile and broken by a once-in-a-century event like a pandemic. But not one of these feels rushed or forced and all served as foreplay for this full release, especially if you have been fans of the band since their formation in 2017.
If we go back to thinking of this album where every song levels up in the same way game levels do, we soon reach level seven of this 11-level game.. err we mean album. With Love is the kind of level in a dreamstate of Alice: Madness Returns – a break from the main horror and slash action-adventure which offers a psychological twist without feeling out of place and which only serves to showcase the talents of the diverse transcending across genres the writers can really do. Ninth track Surrender strengthens the band storytelling too, giving Dilliberto a further opportunity showcase his switches between clean and harsh vocal lines in a manner that would make Shane Told of SILVERSTEIN proud.
The album closes with Forever Yours which offers a sense of familiarity to emo and metalcore fans alike, while also deepening their curiosities for other releases from this band. There is not only the sound the band have honed over their years of touring and writing, but a sense that you’ve defeated the final boss with some moves you’ve learned along the way; the breakdowns, the use of some classic piano, the space give to the vocals to shine, and the backing vocals offering a feeling of, “come in, we’re here to stay”.
Between Me And The Machine is a beautiful debut masterpiece from a band who have played it right and bucked the trend of releasing an album after a few short months together, and it shows. RESOLVE truly know each other as well as where they are heading.
Rating 9/10
Between Me And The Machine is set for release on November 26th via Arising Empire.
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