Album/EP

New Years Day - Unbreakable (Album Review)

Walladmin

Heavy Metal Wordsmith

/10

Apr 23, 2019

7 min read

New Years Day - Unbreakable
Released: April 26^th, 2019

Line Up

Ash Costello // vocals
Nikki Misery // guitar
Austin Ingerman // guitar
Frankie Sil // bass
James Renshaw // drums

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There are three types of bands; one where each and every member of the band is an integral part of the band and when one band member leaves that is the end of the band, one where every member is interchangeable, as long as the members maintain what made the brand popular in the first place and those bands who are inextricably linked to one person (normally the frontman/ frontwoman). New Years Day is the latter. It is very much Ash Costello’s band and that is evident in the promotion for the band and the way the band has evolved over the years.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMczBMKZIBw&w=640&h=360]

The album opens with ‘Come For Me’, starting with loud, furious guitar riffs, that have been built upon one another. The song is a powerful start, but the layering of the different instruments and additional sound elements along with stacking Ash Costello’s vocals means that there is just too much going on in the song to decipher what is actually happening. ‘Missunderstood’ starts off more promisingly, with Costello’s vocals showing more subtlety, before autotune kicks in and the guitars gritty sound and breakdowns take over the chorus and verses. Once again, individually there is a lot to like, but together the song is a bit muddled, taking on too many elements and diverting too much from one sound to another. ‘Skeletons’ metalcore opening guitar riff makes way for a slower verse, showcasing a softer side to the band and Costello’s vocals, before kicking in during the chorus, creating a catchy rock song. Continuing the band’s themes of being strong and defiant, ‘Unbreakable’ has a dramatic chorus that allows for Costello’s vocals to take centre stage, creating an emotive response in the listener. The opening of ‘Strong’ takes elements of recent pop music, creating a slower song with classic metalcore riffs throughout the chorus.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hb6rJPVAsQM&w=640&h=360]

Maintaining the rebellious tone with ‘Done With You’, the song’s metal elements are loudly and proudly on the band’s sleeve. ‘Poltergeist’ starts off eerie and like a soundtrack to a horror movie, with its delicateness before building to the hard rock chorus. Continuing to layer Costello’s vocals, ‘Break My Body’ culminates in a raspy yell. ‘Sorry Not Sorry’ retains the elements of the previous songs, creating a commanding ‘fuck you’ atmosphere. The final three songs ‘My Monsters’, ‘Nocturnal’ and ‘I Survived’ are extensions of the songs that come before it. Turbulent, defiant and somewhat anarchistic in both its sound and tone, with ‘Nocturnal’ incorporating elements of electronic music, showcasing a slightly different dimension to the rest of the album and adding to the chaos.

Unbreakable has some great elements, and has a few moments of pure brilliance, but the chaotic blend of sounds and the recalcitrant lyrics makes the whole package difficult to stomach in one sitting. Unless you are a big fan of New Years Day, it is probably best to listen to one or two songs at a time, rather than the whole album. In other words, it is a great album for the iTunes/Streaming generation.