After a seven year break-up "I Killed The Prom Queen" are back with their third studio album titled "Beloved".  Now in case you are wondering, no this isn't the original line-up with an all-new vocalist, bassist and drummer.  Now will this comeback album be successful?  Or will this all be for nothing?  Find out after the jump to find out.  (Click "Read More" to read the full article).

  

Track 1: Beginning Of The End

The intro track to this album wasn't bad at all and it does set the mood of the album very well.  This is the softest song on the album but it doesn't take away anything from the sound of the band.  The instruments are very creepy with a chilly symphonic sound that gave me the feeling that something big is about to happen.  You are then greeted by some very dark gravely sounding vocals that helps build up the feeling that something big is going to happen.  There isn't really much to this track but I did like and overall it's a good song that helps set the mood for what this albums going to be and will also get you into the album as well. 

Track 2: To The Wolves

As soon as "Beginning Of The End" finishes we are greeted by a thunderous machine gun attack in the form of drums that are going full-throttle on the bass pedals.  Shortly after we have the guitar kicking in with a very melodic thrash sound then the vocals break in like a brick to the head with a classic melodic death metal sound that rips though the airwaves like thunder.  Once we get beyond the intro we hear some very solid guitar riffs that are fun to listen to.  The drums do sound a bit generic although they still go with the song pretty well.  Vocals aren't bad at all as I do like the dark demonic sound and the gravely pitch.  Second half of the song has a lighter sound but soon kicks into a really dark hard-hitting breakdown that sounded really nice.  A problem I do have with this song is that it can sound a little generic in some parts but overall this was a very solid song and I did find it quite enjoyable.

Track 3: Bright Enough

The next song on the album is an alright one with a nice electric sounding opening (not to be confused with electronic sounding) but shortly after we kick into some decent but fairly generic sounds. Towards the middle the song changes style from typical hardcore rock to more of a emo punk rock sound that skateboarders enjoy (damn I hate using the word "emo" in terms of music genre naming). This doesn't sound bad but there's nothing all that special about it either as it also sounds generic. It's not just the instruments that suffer from this cliche sound but so does the vocals. Thank goodness the vocals don't suffer too much as it doesn't reach the point of sounding cheesy. I did rock out to this song as it does give you a sense of energy. Overall this song is far from being a song that will stick out but still very listenable nonetheless.

Track 4: Melior

This next song is defiantly not a generic punk rock skater song. The intro of this song has a very nice brutal death metal sound that hits you in the mouth like a fist make of solid bricks (that's a good thing by the way). The song quickly changes tune into a light symphonic death metal tune that includes some really solid guitar and drum riffs that you can bang your head to like some crazy headbanger guy. A break-down occurs shortly after (a break down is something that sounds like a jam in case you are wondering) and I wasn't feeling anything from it as it was very stock and can be heard in many other death metal songs by many other death metal bands and I did get a little bored with it. Once that's over the song picks up again and hits it's strongest point with a very beautiful mixture of guitar and violin. The song ends with a decent guitar solo followed by a symphonic fade out that had a very pretty sound. Overall this is another very solid song and I enjoyed it quite a bit. Worth a listen.

Track 5: Thirty-One & Sevens

I am not a fan of the intro of this song as it sounds very stock with a high pitch guitar that fades in but after that the song fully kicks in with some brutal sounding drums and heavy guitars that sound great. Throughout the first half of the song you'll hear a nice array of sounds that'll make you bang your head. Towards the middle the song turns into a skate rock song that actually doesn't sound bad but I can see the harmony vocals sounding a bit too cheesy for some people to bare. The second half of the song has a nice strong death metal sound that got me rocking out even more to the point where I wanted to smash a few things (but didn't due to being too lazy to clean up that said mess). Vocally this song has a pretty standard melodic death metal sound but it works with the song very well and is also decent lyrically too. Overall this was a very good song and is one of the stronger songs on this album but I do find the song title to be a bit cheesy like they were trying too hard to make the title sound edgy and cool.

Track 6: Calvert Street

With little-to-no warning the song kicks in with a thrash metal style that floods your ears with a wall of sound. While I did enjoy the sound I did find it a bit hard to differentiate the instruments as it did get very crowded. The middle of the song turns into a melodic death metal song with a much less crowded sound and it was very nice indeed but then the harmonic vocals kick in and it sounded alright but the mixing of vocals and instruments sounded a bit weird as the instruments were drowning out the vocals. This isn't just the case for the harmonies as it was the same for the main vocals as well. I did enjoy the last part of the song when the instruments change to a lighter pitch as not only did it rocked but it also made for a nice variety in sound. Overall while I enjoyed this song they could've mixed the audio a lot better as the guitar and drums do drown out the vocals and the rest of the other instruments.

Track 7: Kjaerlighet

Confusing song title aside, next track is actually a duet and it sounds very solid. The sound of the vocals is a bizarre mash-up of melodic death metal and a classic rock ballad and it works together pretty well. The instruments in this song uses the same style as most of the songs on this album (melodic death metal with a light symphony) but are more fine tuned and sound much richer. There is also a lot more variety of sound in this song and it sounds great. There really isn't much more that I can really say about this song as while it is one of the stronger songs on the album it is also a song that doesn't take much to sum up. In the end I really enjoyed this song and (to repeat myself) it's one of the stronger tracks on the album and I can see this track being a single sometime in the future (but I bet that it won't become one but it'll be nice notheless).

Track 8: The Beaten Path

"The Beaten Path" is a song that I am mixed on. Instrumentally this song has a more traditional hard rock sound that eases into a faster more heavy metal sound. While I did like the sound I also found it to be quite repetitive although I didn't find it boring but it would've been nice to have a bit more variety in sound in this track. I do give the instruments credit for the way that they eased in from "hard rock" to "heavy metal" as it felt natural and not forced at all. Vocally this song sounds fine with a nice hardcore death metal sound but lyrically I found it to be a bit weak and got a bit cheesy to the point where I cringed a little and that's what bothered me the most about this song. Overall this song has a decent sound but the lyrics and repetitive instruments can be a bit jarring. 

Track 9: Nightmares

The instruments in this song sound really good with some very rich sounding melodic death metal tunes. This track is also one of the more fine-tuned sounds (like "Kjaerlighet") with a nice variety in sounds (sure they are all heavy sounds but there's a nice amount nonetheless). I especially liked the guitar playing in this one as it got me very excited. I like the sound of the vocals in this song with a screamy sound that syncs up with the instruments very well. Just like the prior song the lyrics are a bit cheesy but the rocking sounds of the instruments will distract you from that. Overall this was a very nice track with a crystal clear sound and could also work as a single (but I'll bet that it won't be).

Track 10: No One Will Save Us

This song opens up with a very melodic and beautiful mini-jam session followed by some very groovy guitar playing. I really like the instrument playing in this song as it is full of really nice riffs that got me in the mood to bounce off the walls. Towards the end of the song the instruments lighten up a tad bit which leads to my biggest problem with this song. The biggest problem with this song is that towards the end the vocals become very over dramatic and does sound very cheesy. Other than that the vocals for the rest of the song sounded fine and does work with the song although the lyrics were not the best in this song as they are a bit cheesy. Overall this wasn't a bad song but far from perfect but worth a listen nonetheless.

Track 11: Brevity

Continuing off right from where "No One Will Save Us" left off in a style that reminds me of the song transition from the Pantera songs "The Trend Is Over" and "Sandblasted Skin" (both from the album "The Great Southern Trendkill (1996)"). Now seeing how it continues off from where the last song left off you will hear the same corny over dramatic sounding vocals from the end of the last song. The instruments at the opening of this song also has the same feeling as listening to "The Underground In America" (by Pantera) with a manic sound that makes it feel like that you're suffering from some kind of madness. Once that's over we are greeted with a sound that's a mixture of death metal and symphonic music and it sounds quite good.  Shortly from out no nowhere a break down occurs and it sounds quite brutal and well done. After that we go back to the symphonic death metal sound and it also starts building up and turns into a pretty decent symphonic song. I like this as it went really well with the album's atmosphere.  If the opening song sounds like that something dark and evil is approaching then this song sounds like the calm sunrise that kills the darkness. Overall this was a very solid song and a great way to close off this album.

Overall this was a very solid album with some very good songs on it (not to sound stock or anything).  This album works best when you listen to it from track one all the way to the end of the album as the atmosphere of the album gives it a very "stage play" feeling like if you were watching a very heavy opera.  I do recommend giving this album a listen as it's very enjoyable.  It's good to have you back in the music scene guys.   

Album: Beloved