The Romance of Affliction

SeeYouSpaceCowboy

In theory, I should love this. This album has a super nostalgic mid-2000s post-hardcore and screamo sound, mathcore riffs loaded with chugging rhythms and panic chords galore, and of course, super crushing breakdowns. Connie Sgarbossa performs so many throat-shredding screams and some of her nastier moments on this record are in fact the most memorable. So why am I on the fence? Well, after giving this record many repeated listens, nothing is really holding on in my memory. There are two main issues I have with the record that greatly affect the songwriting in my opinion. On one hand, the band seems to present so many different ideas in this whirlwind fashion; one fleeting moment after the next. They never ride on a riff or section long enough to give you a chance to really appreciate... well anything really. On the other hand, I feel like there is a lack in guitar inspiration. The chugging rhythms and the panic chords I described earlier, they seem to be the only two strategies in the playbook as almost every riff is built around those elements. Put these two problems together and you have 40 minutes of bouncing from idea to idea, and the differences are largely indistinguishable.

This issue also bleeds over into the sung vocal parts. I will say the vocal melodies and performances are not particularly strong but they do seem pretty on par for your average screamo band with that scream/sung dichotomy. What I take more issue with is the fact that each clean sung moment is performed using the same inflection and melody structure, further emphasizing the feeling that this all sounds the same. Thank goodness for Connie Sgarbossa who's vocal technique is much more varied. She's got the false chord screams, the low growls, and while I think it is used a little too often, she also pulls out these incredibly sassy yells. As I said before, any memorable moment I can actually recall is based around her performance. For example, my favourite moment on the record is during Intersecting Storylines to the Same Tragedy, where she unleashes this filthy snarl over a spacious breakdown propelled by crashing cymbals.

Unfortunately, The Romance of Affliction didn't really live up to my expectations. I don't have a problem with the sounds or the parts especially considering I find things like panic chords to die for. However, when the same elements and techniques are used over and over again, these things no longer feel all that special anymore, panic chords included. I certainly don't hate this thing, but I'm not all that entertained by it either. I'm feeling very indifferent. I would still be interested to see what the band does next; see if they keep this classic sound, but perhaps develop a few more tricks of the trade to implement into their songwriting.