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Churning the Pop Metal formula through a dense wall of sound, American rockers Conquer Divide caught my ear with their empowered effeminate vocals sailing over meaty melodic Metal that's far from original, trendy for the times yet endearing. Overt influences present themselves through the likes of Spiritbox akin breakdowns and Bring Me The Horizon's in vogue glitchy electronics. Arriving at obvious intervals, between these blushes emerges a kind beast exercising personal demons. The usual themes of mental struggle and emotional short comings get channeled into cathartic screams and firm singing that spins a tune better than most of their contemporaries.
Slow Burn is far from perfect. A strong succession of bangers dissipates into a mediocre indulgence where cracks start to emerge. Wincing lyrics and underwhelming riffs crop up between an otherwise enjoyable atmosphere. Driven by soft distortion guitars woven with synth, dense floods of brooding, powerful sound wash by. There best moments play purely aesthetic, Castillo's vocal tune often defining its impact. Its a far cry from a captivating opening stint. Songwriting falls of a cliff, much of the preceding music rests on the albums excellent production. Instruments shy from the limelight, leaving the charm to linger on lyrical themes that are hit and miss.
There is clearly a lot of potential here. The opening songs offer much more musically. Although the backing instrumentation on verses mostly paints a blank slate for Castillo, they swell together with big upheavals in the catchy choruses and breaks. This is where Conquer Divide excel every time. A dynamic momentum emerges, propelling the themes of internal battle and personal woe into something antidotal and soothing. Its a very familiar formula yet well executed in their better stride.
Rating: 5/10