Sound: Shadows Fall and Killswitch Engage are probably the biggest bands in the so-called New Wave of American Metal that has been all the rage in the music press these past few years. The two bands have also shared a kinship that is both geographical (they both hail from Massachusetts) and musical. Like many of their U.S. counterparts, Killswitch Engage and Shadows Fall worship at the altar of Swedish melodic death metal; the former band much more than the latter. Either way, many of their younger fans would probably be surprised by Overcast.
Comprised of Brian Fair (Shadows Falls vocalist) and Mike DAntonio (Killswitch Engages bassist) and also featuring Pete Cortese (guitarist of Seemless), Scott McCooe (guitarist of Transient) and Jay Fitzgerald of the band Tunnel Drill, Overcast originally broke up in 1998. The band had more in common with the bare-bones East Coast hardcore sound of the early 90s than it did with anything remotely Gothenburg. After a decade of inactivity, the band decided to get back together and re-record some of their material. The result is Reborn to Kill Again, a sort-of Best of Overcast compilation. Now armed with many more years of experience and playing skills, their songs actually sound more focused, energized, and aggressive than they did the first time around. // 7
Lyrics and Singing: While Fairs barking vocal attack has always sounded kind of clumsy on Shadows Falls thrash attack; it makes complete sense on Overcasts gritty riff-fests. On the slow-chugging of Seven Ft. Grin, his gruff vocal jabs come off more like a third guitar adding another dimension of heaviness to the composition. Check out his speedier assault on (Your) Destructive Self where he actually bears some vocal resemblance to Merauders Jorge Rosado. Lyrically speaking, Reborn to Kill Again largely takes on hardcores confessional, inward looking pacing. There are some us against them elements happening too. The track Bleed Into One even comes off like a rally cry with lines like, release with me/all that is locked inside/as we become one. You can say Fair, at least lyrically, is like a mix of Henry Rollins and John Joseph (Cro-Mags) on this collection. // 7
Impression: While many of the older and holier than though metalhead U-G readers will dismiss this album because of the involvement of Fair and DAntonio, the truth is, this set of songs has very little to do with the music of their main bands. Reborn to Kill Again is tough and to-the-point hardcore but played with the skill and know-how only veteran musicians can pull off. Every pounding passage is put forth with the streetwise vigor of hardcore but the rhythm section owes more to the air-tight exactness of modern metal. Thats not to say these songs come off anywhere near synthetic. Fitzgerald and McCooe know when to let the tempos run a bit looser and songs like Spun and For Indifference work well because of it. All in all, theres nothing really groundbreaking here but thats not the point anyway. What these scene stalwarts have proven here is that sometimes a band can look back at their past and revamp it without losing none of the original integrity. That doesnt mean every group should necessarily do this kind of project, but if the band treats it with as much love and respect as Overcast has, it might be worth a listen. // 7
- Carlos Ramirez (c) 2012
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