We Came Out like Tigers – Ever-Crushed at Peckett's Well

April 14, 2014 • Dog Knights Productions

I was recommended this album with the promise that it's a mix of black metal and emo—which are not only my two favorite genres at the moment but also a combination so highly unlikely that it had to be either completely amazing or the worst album I've ever heard.

Well, it's definitely a pretty unique album, I'll give them that. The black metal influence is very modern-sounding with a heavy punk / post-hardcore / crust sort of edge to it (I guess that's the screamo part coming out). Texture and aesthetics are usually shoved out of the way in favor of brutal, furious, and often very chaotic pounding, only occasionally giving way to slow soft post-rock-ish buildups now and again. The inclusion of violin in most tracks (including during the frantic and heavy sections) is an interesting choice, and one I think actually turns out working pretty well. (Similarly, the clarinet in "Entr'acte" is awesome. Why don't more metal bands have a clarinet ensemble?)

The songwriting is definitely something that takes its time to grow on the listener, though. The music feels very disorganized and even after three or four full listens it's tough for me to keep in pace with what the band is doing. I think it's best to try to experience this album passively, since (at least for me) really trying to follow along is pretty tough. It seems like the band wrote a lot of really good sections of music but weren't sure how to stick them all together into songs. Well, whatever works.

So I guess it's neither completely amazing or the worst album I've ever heard. But it's certainly not bad, and worth a listen for anyone into modern black metal and screamo. It will probably be a few more years until someone can perfect the fusion, but until then this album will do fine enough.