Review by Dillon Crader
From the moment I started listening to Relief, I was instantly hooked on the album. The melodic guitar on the opening track “Commonwealth” instantly pulled me in. I will admit I am a sucker for melodic hardcore, but My Iron Lung takes melodic hardcore and turns it into their own. Compared to other bands in the hardcore music scene, My Iron Lung’s sound is very recognizable with their distinct sing/scream vocals and the upbeat melodic guitar, which is awesome – they don’t sound the similar to other hardcore bands.
The Second track on the album “Conflict of Interest” really captures the emotion that these guys put into their music. A little over half way through the song, the sound is emphasized on the melodic guitar and drums and it sounds beautiful. The guitar then continues into a rhythmic picking pattern with fast paced drums in the back. The vocals come in at the same time as the guitar picking and it really makes for a powerful moment in the song. The musicianship on this track really amazed me. Relief at moments though, did blend together making it hard to distinguish what tracks you just listened to. This is a minor setback, though and I still think the album is overall fantastic.
My Iron Lung are bound to make a name for themselves with the release of Relief and their upcoming tour, supporting major hardcore bands Hundredth and Counterparts. As I went into this album, I thought that they would have the same generic hardcore sound but as I mentioned before, My Iron Lung have found a unique sound and this album sucked me in. Make sure you pick up Relief coming out July 8, 2014 via Pure Noise Records.
Rating: 4/5
Listen to “Day Dream”