Idea Of Beauty - Dark
This is a post-hardcore album with strong metalcore influences, seen best in the breakdowns. It is released in 2004, the year of the most popular melodic metalcore albums, and one of my favorite years of music.
Dark by Idea Of Beauty has everything from heavy breakdowns, like in “The Future has a Past”, to pop punk riffs and soft melodies, like in “Siren”, all accompanied by screaming vocals. There is a lot of variety in the album, that makes it non-repetitive and really fun to listen.
I believe the guitar is the strongest element of the album, as it manages to both capture the stereotypical post-hardcore sound while also being innovative. This dichotomy between the different playing styles throughout the album compliments well the vulgar but beautifully-written lyrics.
The best song in the album in my opinion is the fifth track, “Number Five with a Bullet”. I really like how the breakdowns progress from less heavy to heavier, as the lyrics progress in severity. I generally love how the instrumental matches the messages passed by the songs in the entire duration of the album, as it makes it seem really thought through.
I give this album an overall 9/10. It is well written and has obvious influences of genres that I love. There is an abundance of cool riffs and the other instruments complement it well the guitar well. The only reason I’m not giving a 10, is that the vocals are a bit generic, considering the album was released in 2004 when metalcore flourished.
Favorite song: Number Five with a Bullet
Least favorite song: Siren
