By Night - Sympathy For Tomorrow review

Year : 2012
Genre : Metalcore with a Hardcore mindset
Label : Independent
Origin : Sweden
Rating : 8.8 / 10

By Night's Sympathy For Tomorrow puts at least one reviewer into a pleasant position, because the music I personally found on the disc sounds to me as the epitome of well executed non-emo metalcore with a hardcore attitude kept intact throughout the way.

The characterology of the stimulus in my opinion consorts nicely to a blend between the music of recent day Biohazard without the "supportive nuclear radiation" - the beauty of music journalism - AND hefty-butt metalcore which shows exactly sub-zero interest in the teenager antics of salescurvecore and its themes revolving around breakup traumas, suicidal lamentations and the HORROR of seeing your neighbor seeing you seeing him with a rubber giraffe.

The By Night guys are doing an especially noteworthy job with their top of the heat guitar production work : everything they offer is clearly and precisely defined STUFF with full value sonic meat on it. Virtually no out-of-real-estate distortion is present enough to be bugged about it, and THAT is something to be tamely bugged about. The data emerges ripe, muscular without having to be bloated like a whale on war steroids as the latest Lamb of God. NO, I do not want to pick on that release, especially not after how I was kind of a douche with it, but notice this : Resolution is sooooo "senselessly massive" sounding at its most crowded places that the sheer weight sounds to overwhelm the actual details and intricacies actually being presented. It takes tremendous effort to actually make out and appreciate what is being played, some of the time. Reason I mention the premiere Pantera peers is my percept that By Night similarly wants to deliver you music with crystal clear thought behind it, but, giving its elements in equally crystal clear-, YET soberly limited fashion is top priority for this ensemble. This is a rare-, but always very pleasant approach to encounter and be graced by, as most bands will be content with soniccannoning you into your favorite submission for your money. Guys, let's talk about the music.


Vocally speaking, - WOW! - By Night claims the well positioned liberty to deviate from the dry scarecrow metalcore screamo traditions, instead, the lead vocalist delivers his sentiments along a kind-of-hardcore register that I think is much more tolerable-, even likable as time progresses than the usual metalcore fare. It is audible that this vocalist, contrary to metalcore monkeys, is not at all reliant on different super-amazing-highly-spectacular-secret-Shaolin-techniques to administer the screams, he "just" screams at the top of his lungs and that is much more admirable than the obnoxious-ass fake screaming of Caleb Slomo or a byproduct of said sonic atrocity. Rage Against The Machine's superb Zack De La Cockoroach or whatnot comes to mind if I'd need to compare the effect.


The disc is a sober accomplishment, and here is why : with 35 minutes of program time, the delivery forms and administers apt occasions to address the anatomy of the eloquent music it seeks to - efficiently - depict, and it is a triumphant deviation from the comic book level self-indulgence committed by acts like Periphery and their self titled IL. (Infinite length.) The songs are given a nice sense of compositional space, so to speak, as the direction always is clear, focused, never letting go of the hive-requirement of having something relevant to tell. The summoned elements and influences are evident and tastefully presented as far as their origins. The one minute "These Wounds Won't Hale" introduction is as big of a Meshuggah tribute as you will ever hear, - Faith No More synths substitute the trademark backdrop-ornament guitar - and it kicks your ass, too! "Protest To Survive" sports a verse flattering groove metal, and the metalcore intermission summons the charisma of said genre without turning into horrifying teen emofest - AND then the band once again touches upon Tool for a restrained-, beautiful break after which intensity is free to reign at its full value top form.


One could go on and on addressing the beneficiary anatomical traits of this focused-, good looking release that manages to render an image of metalcore with fucking dignity and a spiritual STANCE (!!) to it, while simultaneously being able to throw in a whole palette of carefully selected sonic ingredients of exquisitely produced subgenre-pleasentries. Mind you, that nothing is rushed herein, as on some subservient pop metal releases. Sympathy For Tomorrow is a straightforward, crystal clear metalcore / hardcore blend with no trace of the over-emoted aspects of the firstly mentioned, and it shows capacity to reveal a type of tasteful variation that both respects and commands the premiere directions it chooses to thread along. Recommended.

Rating : 8.8 / 10

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