Across Five Aprils "Life Underwater"

Wait, what?

The last time I heard Across Five Aprils -- at least three or four years ago -- their sound was pretty dismal. Totally forgettable. With that in mind, I had almost no intentions of giving the band's Victory Records debut, Life Underwater, anything more than a proverbial, careless shrug. But I took a chance and popped it in on my way to work last week and, lo and behold, I liked it. I really liked it.

Across Five Aprils hasn't undergone any drastic changes, as the band still plays an Underoath-ish blend of scream-y, chunky heaviness and lightly atmospheric, expansive melodies. However, despite it sounding damn familiar, they've developed a firm grip on crafty, memorable songwriting -- the catchy choruses, killer breakdowns, and chunky melodic metalcore tend to work together, naturally overlap and maintain a certain flow. I also really dig the band's vocal progression; while the melodic singing and the gravelly screaming (think Life In Your Way in both cases) sounds well practiced and clean, front man Brandon Mullins often opts for shouting style that's got enough throat-shredding intensity to fit a fast, melodic hardcore act. It doesn't sound like much, but it makes a world of a difference to these ears.

The only true misstep on Life Underwater is the out-of-place "In Photographs," a cheesy, driving pop-punk jam with a lone heavy part that clashes with its surroundings like green on magenta. And the lyrics? "I may seem happy in my photographs. Please don't be fooled by what you see." Uh, yeah. Welcome to Stereotypical Screamo Lyrics 101. Overall, though, it's a decent record that brings life to a dated formula.

Across Five Aprils - This Means Not Welcome

Buy it here.