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I'm torn.
I enjoy listening to A Day to Remember's sophomore full length, For Those Who Have Heart, but I'm annoyingly aware of the record's formulaic songwriting. And I have fun singing along to the soaring choruses and forceful, metallic passages, but the lyrics often strike a nerve that's sensitive to overconfidence and self-importance.
Backing up, A Day to Remember has largely improved their game since releasing And Their Name Was Treason a couple years ago. While the band still pairs driving, melodic rock and chug-a-luggin' metalcore, the polished, Victory-budgeted recording quality on For Those Who Have Heart acts as a fertile planter for the band's roots. The group has certainly made good use of the label support, sprouting more powerful, burlier breakdowns, more convincingly growled vocals, and grander hooks.
That said, it's easy to get into the band's parts because they're all so clean and well executed. Hell, the opening song, a short burst of melodic hardcore, gang vocals and breakdowns, had me hooked within seconds. But, like I said in the beginning, almost all of the songs come together according to a similar formula of driving verses, soaring choruses and repetitious, chugging breakdowns. It gets old. Making matters worse, a lot of the transitions between catchy melodies and in-your-face metalcore are awkward at best. The band sometimes resorts to silent, few-second pauses, which scream laziness.
A Day to Remember's lyrical approach also troubles me. The weirdness reaches its peak in "Monument," which is centered on the line, "20 bucks says you'll remember me when you see me on your TV screen / It may be the first time, but it won't be the last time." Apparently, the band's predicting their glorious future on MTV2. Oh, and according to "A Shot in the Dark," the band is "taking over the world." "Mark [their] words."
For everything good on For Those Who Have Heart -- the memorable hooks, enthused, metallic breakdowns, bass bombs and strong production -- there seems to be something that'll push listeners away. While I'm still torn, this record is primarily destined to satisfy listeners who dig A Day to Remember's style and can get past the flaws. It's fun, but far from great.
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