Album Review: EMMURE – Look At Yourself

EMMURE’s latest, coming-of-age album, Look At Yourself is ready for release on March 3rd, and shows clear growth from their last release Eternal Enemies in 2014. Actually, this may be the strongest record EMMURE have graced the hardcore scene with so far. Look At Yourself embodies everything you could be looking for in a metal album, and more.

Title track of the album, “You Asked for It” is mainly instrumental throughout and gives a suspenseful opening leading into heavy drums, but transitions perfectly into the remainder of the album, with unexpected clean vocals to add balance.

Frankie Palmeri has an aggressive edge to his voice that is clearly built for live music, and is a leading reason in why “Flag Of The Beast” packs a punch with confrontational, in your face lyrics. Track five is by far one of my favourites on the album, with what sounds like intense clips from old films sewn into the beginning and allows a crossover to what I can only describe as resembling Corey Taylor vocals in “Ice Man Confessions”, with the nu-metal bounce of Parkway Drive. The song is loaded with emotion and, along with the remainder of the 13 track release, has heavy rhythm that translates perfectly into the upcoming world of music, definitely showing us all what EMMURE has to offer this year.

Palmeri himself describes the album as somewhat more mature as the rest, and released a statement thanking fans that have stuck with the band through the years after a drastic change in lineup in 2015, and expressing how excited he, as well as the remainder of the band, feel for the future.

Last December SharpTone Records streamed “Russian Hotel Aftermath” along with “Torch” on YouTube as a two-song download, so these tracks may not come as a surprise to fans everywhere, but most will definitely be able to see why they picked them; “where Russian Hotel Aftermath” jumps in with grit and noise, “Torch” begins with unique and delicate strings that continue into a perfect comedown from the album as a whole.

Tracklist:

1. You Asked For It
2. Shinjuku Masterlord
3. Smokey
4. Natural Born Killer
5. Flag Of The Beast
6. Ice Man Confessions
7. Russian Hotel Aftermath
8. Call Me Ninib
9. Major Key Alert
10. Turtle In A Hare
11. Torch
12. Derelict
13. Gucci Prison

EMMURE are currently on tour in the US, dates can be found here.

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