I’m not a religious person at all. I’m not a complete non-believer, it’s just at this point in my life I don’t see any need to worship to a ‘God’ or discuss whether ‘He’ may or may not exist. All Out War, on the other hand, are completely obsessed with religion. Victory’s metalcore heroes mix up traditional 80s hardcore with Slayer-esque metal riffs and throw in Christian images within their lyrics. From the cover art of a preacher (complete with skull) stood in the pulpit, this is an album steeped in religion and betrayal. And, frankly, it’s not something I have any interest in whatsoever.
This album is pretty good for what it is – the vocals are aggressive, the riffs scythe through waves of bass and drums and the breakdowns are hard and heavy. And while it’s nothing new, it’s better than most bands which attempt to peddle this type of music. That said, I can’t get past the themes of this album and song titles such as ‘Curtain Call for the Crucified’ and ‘Beyond Redemption’ are just a taste of the imagery and words used throughout. It may be of interest to some, but it’s not really for me.