Texas In July - One Reality
Rating
RIYL
This Or The ApocalypseWith Life In Mind
Parkway Drive
August Burns Red
Release Date
04/26/2011
Label
Equal VisionTracklist
1. Introduction2. Magnolia
3. 1000 Lies
4. Dreamer
5. Dying World
6. No Greater Love
7. May
8. Our Freedom
9. Cyclops
10. Pretender
11. One Reality
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It actually wasn’t too much of a stretch to see this one coming, as Texas In July served notice in that month of last year with their seven-inch Uncivilized that they had matured into a force to be reckoned with. Beyond the general overall tightening as a unit, the band displayed a knack for eliminating some of the inconsistencies that bogged down their previous outing I Am in spots. One Reality takes that maturation one step further, showcasing a green thumb’s adeptness at spotting and pulling weeds, while letting the real crop flourish, thereby leaving the album as a whole with a seamless flow and rendering its contents a lean, though muscular, thirty-four minutes.
The aforementioned crop harvested here is melodic metalcore, in all its resplendence, from vocalist Alex Good channeling Winston McCall to “Zeuss” Harris’ crisp, clean production that allows the guitar work to really shine. Collations here are chiefly aimed at August Burns Red (probably no coincidence as Texas In July also hails from the metalcore-fertile Lancaster, PA area) and Parkway Drive; this is excellent company to be in, as the former band’s Constellations was squarely in my top ten of 2009, and the latter’s Deep Blue was my album of the year for 2010.
It is with the upper tier in mind that One Reality opens with “Introduction,” a warm, engaging two-minute instrumental that recalls the way The Ghost Inside opened Returners with “Walk Away From The World,” before slamming into the hoppy beginning of “Magnolia.” “Magnolia” is indicative of the rest of the disc, replete with engaging melodies, a strong vocal performance, and of course, the breakdown. Huge breakdowns abound, with some of the hardest-hitting appearing in “Our Freedom,” “Dying World,” and “Cyclops,” the last of which really distinguishes itself via the contrast of fracture-inducing heaviness with quintessential ABR riffing. In fact, one of the main reasons One Reality is such a strong listen is because of the band’s adeptness at knowing when to maul the listener, when to employ their significant chops, and when to meld their strengths. The name of the game here is dynamism. “Introduction” and the meditative “May” are purely instrumental tracks, but they go quite a ways toward adding depth and variety to the album, not to mention in aiding in its flow.
Outside of the rare misstep (the cringe-worthy lyric about a minute into “Dreamer” is the most glaring), the main criticism here is that One Reality is easily deconstructed. That is to say, that by referencing their contemporaries to such a degree, Texas In July have invited comparisons that they are unlikely to live up to. It is in this vein that reminiscences of previous work by August Burns Red, The Ghost Inside, and Parkway Drive creates an imbalance that doesn’t come out in favor of Texas In July. Thus One Reality doesn’t quite mark a breakthrough into the elite, but credit the band for recognizing what works and employing it to their benefit. Imitation is, after all, the sincerest form of flattery.
--Jacob Oliver
Comments
Fishers, Indiana
you were driving at what I'm gonna say in your review, but you went positive and i'm gonna go negative: to me this comes off straight up derivative, but competent. lots of nothing-new, but decent. and you are right, they invite lots of comparisons but they do not come out on top of them.
also, decoy does not like me posting on my phone. cannot shift, suddenly cannot use alt characters. woop web design.
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Spokane, Washington
i like everything about this band, except the vocalist. he has absolutely no range, which is somewhat needed when you bypass clean vocals all together. plus he seems like a douche in person.
Current Listenings:
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Andrew Bird - "Break It Yourself"
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Janus - "Nox Aeris"
Blues Traveler - "25"
I've only occasionally listened to this band before this album, and I kind of had the same feelings about them being just adequate but not great. Even still I'm listening to this album right now, I'm almost all the way through and I have to say really enjoyed it. Love the musicianship, especially the guitars. It's nothing new, true, but I haven't gotten enough yet.
Reno, NV
Dig this. I loved Deep Blue and this is very similar. Agree the vocalist doesn't show a lot of range, but the breakdowns and riffage more than make up for it throughout.
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Psychollywood - Psychollywood
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Lehigh Valley, PA
This is band is absolute crap. Been sayin it since we started posting about these ABR wannabes. ABR isnt good so why would you try and sound like them?!?!?!
San Diego, CA
Oh gee I wasn't expecting you to say THAT! ;-)
Too old to bother, too young to give a shit.
Colorado
You're right, ABR are effin' GREAT! As for Texas In July, they are decent and I am sure this album will be a solid listen every now and then.
Atascadero, CA
he's saying he doesnt like ABR either.
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Minnesota
Decent enough album. A complete ABR rip-off, but good for what it is.
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California
better than expected but considering they're from the same area as ABR and well pretty much just copy what ABR does and were able to get signed to a big indie label, i like them less than had they tried to be original. always going to be in a shadow but most likely will tour on big tours and make some money so i cant hate too much.