Since 2003, Too Late The Hero has been an independent band that has simply not garnered much recognition. However, Lamb Of God drummer Chris Adler partnered up with his manager Larry Mazer and formed ReThink Records, a subdivision of The End Records. Their first signing was Too Late The Hero, a rock/metal band from Portland, Maine. The group’s debut album, Statement Of Purpose, combines swift-fingered guitars with a mixture of growls and clean vocals by Jared Wilbur.
“Hold Your Applause” is the lead track and it’s one of the fastest songs, showing more hardcore influence than anything. Strong electric guitars from Kevin Billingslea and Jack Stolz make the intro to “Life As Fiction” sound like a retro video game, before it gets into the first verse and its great chorus. A catchy melody, along with the story of a girl leaving and a guy running after her, is “The Hunt.”
“Dead And Gone” is a bit of an angry song, though it does get slower and describes a woman getting around the block, to say the least. Someone getting consumed by flames is “The Ground Is Lava,” which contains fine backing vocals. The 10-track, “Requiem Of A Reflection,” is a fast one, with hard-hitting drums from Jared Wilbur. The disc rounds off with “Wicked Self,” a mostly acoustic tune that breaks out a cello.
The album really isn’t too bad considering it is their first. It is set to release on Tuesday, April 12, and should be a treat for fans of rock/grunge/screamo.
In A Word: Respectable
