Search - Life in Your Way :: Waking Giants

Life in Your Way ~Waking Giants~

RaY RaY Pine | Philly | 03/25/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Before I had received this album to review I had already added it to my list of CDs that I needed to purchase. I had seen a full page ad in the latest AP and listened to a few tracks on their PureVolume site and after one listen, knew I needed to own all of their discs. The following week, I received their SolidState debut to review. To say I was pleased would be an understatement.



So what is Life in Your Way? Waking Giants makes it's statement with the opener, ""Reach the End"" which fuses all of the best elements of the screamo genre and, in particular, the SolidState label: Aggressive riffing, atmospheric leads and excellent clean vocals!



All of the songs seem to have a quiet dignity about them, moving in and out of melody and chaos with ease. The clean complimenting the guttural screams wonderfully while the always atmospheric and moving leads dance seamlessly underneath the vocals. The album, as a whole, doesn't display the diversity that Failure On does, but it's powerful in its incessant attack in the Beloved(us) way. LiYW also use the spoken word section that a few bands such as Shai Hulud and Poison the Well made popular in the late 90's, early 2000's.



For highlights of the album, listen to the middle section of "We Don't Believe." The pleading vocals that go against a building backdrop until it crescendos into an explosion of emotion and pleading. The song sums up the album: Powerful and reflective.



Another highlight on the disc is "The Shame" where the band uses their fantastic lead work to compliment driving guitars. The song just moves and pushes forward with the same intensity that Underoath does.



It's important to note that the clean singing on this album is much less emo then one might expect. It's a nice change of pace as only a few bands in the genre have singers that aren't completely whiney.



It's early in 2007 but this is my album of the year front-runner right now. Beautiful, chaotic, and powerful--Life in Your Way has crafted a disc that fits into the small niche that Beloved(us) created.



Highly recommended for fans of: Beloved(us), Hopesfall, Underoath

"

Life In Your Way - Waking Giants

J. Toms | Connecticut USA | 05/02/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Life in Your Way's newest album, and their first since signing with Solid State, is their cleanest yet. Life in Your Way has always had deep lyrics with complex and energetic music and this album is no different. However this album seems to be more mature, there is less raw energy and more beautiful melodies surrounding lyrics that come straight from the heart. Since the first time I saw LIYW play my favorite thing has been the way they blend screaming hardcore with purposeful lyrics and soaring bridges, and they have taken it to a new level with this release. Though I like most of the new songs, Track 6, "Salty Grave" is my new favorite LIYW song. Also, the Waking Giants cover art (a mountain range made out of a sleeping man under a starry sky) is amazing."

Brilliantly Excecuted!

S. Sleyster | 03/08/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This album is simply better than their other albums in my opinion. I think they have a perfect hardcore factor mixed with suspenceful calms before all of the storms, it is awesome and a awesome shock from what I though was just a good band!"