Artist: Afterlife
Album: The Pain That Shapes Us
Label: Mascot Records
Score: 85%
Thoughts: Vocalist Tyler Levenson wears his heart on his sleeves after years of struggle. The abuse he absorbed over the years of his youth has fueled his powerful vocals on The Pain That Shapes Us, which switch between guttural screams and melodic cleans that bring to mind hard-rock legends like Godsmack and Stone Sour. Their influences of Papa Roach and Slipknot also show, though the band fits better in the metalcore scene, despite their anthems still standing firmly grounded in hardcore brutality without anything overly catchy. Their sound is in the vein of I Prevail and TesseracT, so fans of that style of metal should pay attention. The Pain That Shapes Us is hard-hitting and emotionally visceral.
Two Tracks OSM Would Make the Singles: “Bad Habits” (an all-around banger that showcases the band’s multifaceted skills) and “Empty” (the radio-begging track that could get the band heard by more than if it played only on streamers)
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