This one is another metalcore CD from a band that debuts from London! Well, it does sound quite different from this year’s American equivalents. “Devotion” is Burn Down Rome’s second effort after the release of the highly acclaimed by the British rock press “Faith In Liars, Faith In Thieves” EP.

Their mixture consists of genres like screamo, sludge, post rock but in a very peculiar way. They don’t use typical emo vocal style, their guitar sound is mostly clean rather than muddy and their rhythms are more swinging than minimal. The band uses very little distortion. Mr Jacob Cade screams in a special melodic way. In addition, most of the lyrics are about Christianity! So this hybrid will definitely confuse a lot of metalcore fans out there.

As far as their references, these would probably be The Gallows and Devil Sold His Soul with even a melody from Paradise Lost’s “Draconian Times” somewhere, for example! Should typical metal fans stay away from this release? This is about a totally sincere collaboration of indie music with melodic hardcore and not about the heaviest thing we’ve ever heard! Only screamo fans or experimentalists will appreciate the ideas Burn Down Rome present with their first full-length effort and will surely enjoy one of the most fresh sounds of today’s modern rock.