Emerging from Long Island, NY, is the five-piece metalcore band Misery. Their 2008 debut, 15 Years Of Aggression, reached the top 10 on the FMQB charts and upon its release, they were touring the East Coast and opening up for Life of Agony. Their newest disc, Evil Is Crowned, contains fiery vocals and lyrics from John LoCasto, in addition to strong guitar playing from Corey Schaefer and Duane Conlon. There is also a cover of a Nine Inch Nails song, which is even darker than the original.
Some tracks are very fast, such as “Evil is Crowned,” which has hard, loud drums, as does “Break the Silence.” While the singing is almost all growls, “Gone Tomorrow,” does contain some higher-pitched vocals, as LoCasto sounds very similar to E-Town Concrete’s Anthony Martini. With emotional lyrics and a catchy chorus, it’s easily their best track. “Bullet,” obviously not a happy tune, talks about murder and the slicing of a loved one’s throat.
The turning point of the album, “The Hurt Spell,” is a bit slower, but with impressive guitar solos, it’s one of their best songs. “Head Like A Whole,” the Nine Inch Nails classic hit, rounds off the disc. The drums are great, but the rest of it, not so much.
If you are into metalcore, this CD will be a great buy. The band has some serious potential and I look forward to hearing improvement from them in the next few years.
In A Word: Shadowy
