ALBUM REVIEW: Curse Of Existence – Miss May I

Curse Of Existence is the first MISS MAY I album in five years. It is also their second album to be released under SharpTone Records, who they signed with in 2016. The metalcore band from Troy, Ohio have been through a lot since their formation in 2007. They released their debut album, Apologies Are For the Weak, in 2009, and followed that up with Monument in 2010. Both albums did well commercially, and the song Forgive And Forget from their 2009 debut was even featured on the soundtrack for the horror movie Saw VI which came out the same year. However, despite all the success that came with subsequent releases, the band took a break between their sixth album, Shadows Inside, and their seventh album which arrives this Friday.

Curse Of Existence is ten songs long. If you thought that the band had lost their edge, think again. Levi Benton‘s unclean vocals are the first thing you hear on opener A Smile That Does Not Exist. The band might label themselves as metalcore, but it is clear that they lean more to the deathcore side of metal. This is refreshing, because a lot of metalcore tends to fall more into the melodic, almost radio friendly metal. The clean and unclean vocals compliment each other perfectly.

Earth Shaker does something a little different. Benton tries his hand at melodic metal vocals, as well as deathcore vocals. This not only helps differentiate the two songs, but also keeps things fresh for the band sound-wise. Of course, experimentation is always risky; however, if done right, then the results can be brilliant and interesting. Bleed Together might not sound too experimental; however, it does focus more on the clean vocals rather than the unclean vocals. This allows bassist and clean vocalist Ryan Neff to have his time to shine. He is a brilliant singer, and this song is just one of many that shows off his talent.

In fact, speaking of instruments, the guitars by B.J. Stead and Justin Aufdemkampe are especially great on this album. For example, on the seventh song Born Destroyers the guitars drive the song along, although they are impressive on every song on the album. In addition, this album overall is very well-produced. The pacing in particular is very good. The songs do not slow down for a second, and each one feels like it needs to be there. The runtimes of the songs do not feel too long, so the album does not drag.

Bloodshed is the closing song, and it goes all out. There are unclean vocals, clean vocals, and even a guitar solo. In fact, this song includes a brilliant breakdown, which had been the only thing missing from the album. Of course, not all metalcore albums need breakdowns; however, it would be nice to hear one. Thankfully, MISS MAY I kept the best one until last. Unfortunately however, the closing lyrics let the song down a little. They are made up of saying farewell to various things, and saying farewell on the closing song is a little cliché.

Despite falling into the trappings of a slightly cliché ending, MISS MAY I have proved that the wait is worth it. They have improved upon their sound by delightfully mixing deathcore, melodic and clean vocals to make a unique take on the metalcore sound. This band have shown that they always have a new trick up their sleeve, and can still surprise fans to this day. This album was five years in the making, and it shows that MISS MAY I can still be unique in a genre that sometimes grows stale. Curse Of Existence is one of the most interesting metalcore albums this year, and whilst it won’t please everyone, it will be a great album for both newcomers and fans of the band.

Rating: 8/10

Curse Of Existence is set for release on September 2nd via SharpTone Records.

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