Embodyment :: "The Narrow Scope of Things"

The first Embodyment album, Embrace the Eternal, was one of the most brutal albums I'd heard in awhile, and I loved every minute of it. The riffs were original, the vocals were nearly frightening, and yet they remained their air of holiness. Their harshness mixed with their mixture may have seemed hypocritical to some. That fraction of people should take the time to listen to their new album.

I had heard Embodyment had brought in a new lead singer, although I don't know if the original was fired or he quit on his own. Either way, Sean took over vocals on this album and it's obvious he had something in mind for the band upon his arrival.

The album starts off with an immediately lighter tune, at least lighter than the material on their debut album. It incorporates various alternative elements. Not to mention it is sung, not screamed. In the chorus, Sean confesses: "I would kill to see your face." I'm sorry for Sean to say I would kill to bring back their original singer.

The album continues with a mixture of lighter, alternative-esquer material, to harder material that's still no match for their earlier sound, even to ballads (although the track titled "Ballad" is anything but).

The second track, "Pendelum," introduces us to Sean's first attempt at yelling, although it's not something he does often on the album. The guitar riff almost sounds like the old Embodyment if it possessed more palm mutes and stops, but it falters on.

The third track, "One Less Addiction," appears twice on the album, once in a long, electric version as the third song and again as an acoustic, shorter piece as track number eleven. It is certainly the lightest song on the album. Sean's singing, however, is not clear enough for the words to be as powerful as they are in their written form. The song is disappointing, both in its electric and acoustic forms.

The fourth track is called "Greedy Hands." It begins with a very cool guitar line, a mysterious, lone riff. The song, at least for the first minute and a quarter, seems to be the best on the album so far. The chorus electrifies itself and even possesses some minor harmonies. Still, the Embodyment of old is unable to shine through.

The album continues, "Confessions" spinning by as another disappointment. Sean's vocals don't possess emotion, they feel empty, no matter how well his lyrics are written.

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