Alesana, despite spending most of their time being right on the cusp of seemingly being all over the fucking place, have put together something wholly listenable together with their new album, ‘A Place Where The Sun Is Silent’.
Progressive and ill-tempered, it’s a concept album drawing on everything from doom metal to Panic! At The Disco and AFI, and though the skittish “long intro / airy bit / singy vocals / SCREAM AND GROWL, FUCK! / singing bit / ARHGHHH / HEAVY BREAKDOWN / airy bit / et cetera” approach really will turn a few off, the band are one of a few with a much more credible output, and just about keep it feeling thoughtful throughout.
There’s some great guitar work on the record, and the song structures do seem far more natural than many of their ilk, but Alesana do fall into the trap of most in the genre by seeming so reliant on the work behind the desk that you wonder if their live show could ever get close without some “assistance”.
Besides that and the more “for effect” screams, it’s not a bad record at all if you’re into this sort of thing – and if you’re not, the question begs why on earth you’d have read this far anyway, so go and have a listen if you’re curious.
TOM AYLOTT