Woe, Is Me - Genesi[s]

Metalcore is quite the umbrella term. It’s a genre title so loosely defined it’s hard to really tell what a metalcore fan likes. I was introduced to metal via metalcore but the genre has evolved and changed a lot in that time. Woe, Is Me are on the newer more poppy side of things, which rose in popularity thanks to the likes of A Day To Remember, Asking Alexandria or Close To Home. I wouldn’t call any of those bands personal favorites, and Genesi[s] won’t be making me a Woe, Is Me die hard anytime soon, but this band is definitely the best of the that group in my opinion, but unfortunately it wouldn’t appear that’s the case for the rest of the world. Woe, Is Me is to metalcore what Motionless In White is to deathcore, neither are the kings of the genre and tend to take a lot of flak for being too poppy or ‘radio friendly’ but they show signs of talent.

Woe, Is Me get at least one thing right. They can make a pretty damn crushing breakdown. If you like the core genres for the breakdowns then this band is worth checking out. The combination of bass drops, heavy hitting open riffs, and synthesizer orchestra parts makes for some pretty interesting breakdowns, although the combo does feel a bit overdone by the end of the album.

Then there is the clean singing. I’m not particularly fond of clean vocals, or at least not anymore. It pushes the pop elements a bit too far for me. However I will admit that the band does manage some pretty catchy choruses, but they sometimes feel out of place when contrasted with the breakdowns we just covered. Chances are if you like this genre you won’t really mind the clean vocals a whole lot. Couple that with the fact that the screamed vocals are solid, it’s not a huge bother.

The writing could use some work though, because by the end of the album you might get a little tired of the breakdown-chorus-breakdown-chorus style they use almost 99% of the time. They show signs of creativity here and there, for instance I really like the beginning of ‘I’ve Told You Once’ it almost feels like something off of Volumes last album. The band could incorporate more capable riffage and lead guitar work and maybe that could help boost them over the similar bands in the genre.

Overall Genesi[s] isn’t a bad album, it’s a fun listen, albeit a little quick, and it shows that the band has potential to be notable, but the writing style and similarities to the likes of Asking Alexandria and A Day To Remember will make it hard for them to surpass those bands. Add some progressive elements and you may find a winning combo.

Woe, Is Me - Genesi[s]