Stories – ‘The Youth To Become’ Review
Posted: by Sean Gonzalez
This sounds like Underoath. The Youth To Become sounds like an honest and passionate release that took the essence from Define The Great Line and embedded into a band that goes by Stories. Hailing from Australia, the group released their debut LP August 14th with plenty of hype rolling behind it. The post-hardcore act has enveloped the best of their songwriting talents and naturally released them, scattering through 12 songs with a 46 minute running time.
There are two sides to this band. One side is the aggressive vortex of rhythmic grooves and the other is a melodic, orchestral symphony of distorted guitars. First single ‘Under Haze’ showcases both of those worlds with a tight knit assault on the drums leading the march the entire track. The vocals are harsh and fit the urgency of the song with the guitars focusing on creating sky high melodies that moan along, creating a hypnotizing beat of their own that causes listeners to nod their heads back and forth. The album opens with a whirlpool of guitar riffs that stand out against the rest of the scenes overly chug driven bass drum kicks. They have a steady build and release that is only emphasized more by the weight in the delivery of the screams.
Songs like ‘Alone In The Fallout’ and ‘Waves In Me’ showcase the lighter side of both the vocals and the instruments. Instead of chomping people’s ears off with vicious riffs, the band lets off a bit, nibbling with airy chords. The latter track is actually one I’m not too fond of, with he excessive amounts of fuzz adding a weird layer to the mix in the middle of the track. ‘Shadow Window’ and ‘One Hundred Percent Grey’ are two instrumental tracks that have more drone like aspects, with the first one having more of an impact than the latter (and closing) song.
Stories is a refreshing breath of music to listen to. Normally, I don’t trust much music like this, with many relying too much of repetitive chugs. Instead, The Youth To Become is an unexpected record that sets this band, and hopefully the rest of the scene, in a new light. Pick up the album on iTunes or any other online music affiliate.
Score: 7/10
