Reviewed by Shelby Foster

Attempting to follow the trail marked out earlier by Poison The Well, Hopesfall et al, Beloved create a metalcore and melodic rock fusion that is as awkward as their album title (or this sentence). It takes real artistry to homogenise melody and brutality-artistry that this album is short on. The two styles are played proficiently (but no more) on their own, but clash hideously when combined. The melodies are often too big, bright and inspirational (despite production from GGGarth Richardson of Rage Against The Machine/Project 86 fame). They need to be darker, creepier and more insidious, blended with the screaming rather than crudely tacked on. The album as a whole often sounds too much like the creation of a band that pumps their fists at a hardcore show on Saturday night, then sings anthemic worship songs on Sunday morning.

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