November 15, 2007 | , | 3.5

Arise and Ruin, The Final Dawn

It appears as though Canada has been slipping something into their public water systems the past few years. The latest result of this tampering is Arise and Ruin and their debut from Victory Records, The Final Dawn, is a bruising, bone jarring listening experience.

Combining childhood influences from the likes of Sepultura and At The Gates with massive hardcore breakdowns, Arise and Ruin bring a calculated ferocity to the metal table. As good as all that sounds, they still have a little maturing to do in their song writing and performance — as is the norm with just about any debut album.

Ryan Bauchman’s vocals range in the mid-tone arena, shifting from the guttural variety to hardcore screams. His delivery gets a little monotonous at times, but every once in a while they hit like a left cross out of no where. To accompany his vocals are guitarists Brent Munger and Greg Richmond. While they produce a few memorable, beefy riffs they still need a little time to work out the kinks and gain what only experience can give them. There is a great deal of untapped potential in these two. As for the drumming, Derek Prince-Cox is a consistent bright spot on this album. He hits heavily, quickly and with plenty of barbaric intensity.

Bound by Blood
The opening track wastes no time with crushing riffs and thunderous drumming. Bauchman’s vocals kick in almost immediately as the band beats on their instruments with reckless abandon. Buckle up around the 1:28 mark because you are about to have your ass handed to you with a devastating breakdown. Great way to start off the album.

The Final Dawn
The title track starts off with some memorable riffing and creative drumming. It’s a mid tempo beast of a song that shifts speeds smoothly, yet with a strong technical presence.

End of the Road
A great groove filled drum and riff combo get this one going and will have your head banging in no time. This is one has a bit of an Unearth feel to it and is one of the more structured songs on the album.

To the Grind
The momentum keeps moving forward with “To the Grind,” a track with memorable riffing and a pretty strong vocal delivery from Bauchman. There is some nice lead work around the 2:30 mark that showcases some of the guitarists’ talents.

Amidst Devils
More metalcore based riffing gets this one moving along nicely, with a solid beat from the drums. We get a little bit of that Sepultura influence around the 1:50 mark with some inspired riffing.

Unbound
One of the more aggressively presented songs on the album, “Unbound” is a fast paced monster of a track. Thick bass and creative drumming set the base for some nice riffing and Bauchman’s vocals. Keep a look out for the machine gun like breakdown in the latter half of the song.

Always the Same
“Always the Same” flows smoothly from the previous track with massive riffing and crushing drums. There is an absolutely devastating breakdown at the 1:26 mark — be prepared.

Pale Horse
Another Sepultura flavored riff gets this next song going. This track is a plodding monster with huge riffs and powerful drums. Its slower pace helps break up the flow a bit and keeps the album interesting.

In Life
The shortest track on the album coming in at 2:19 in length, “In Life” is a power packed assault on the senses. It’s quick paced start gets you in the mood for your own circle pit as the band shifts into a nice groove with creative riffing and hammering drums.

Fear Itself
The final song on the album starts off with some nice melodic riffing that gives it a brighter overall sound over jack hammer like drumming. The band slows the pace a bit as Bauchman’s vocals kick in (he shows a little more versatility on this one as well), bringing the listener into a darker realm. The track fades out slowly.

~ ~ ~

Aside from a few personal nitpicks, this is one hell of a strong debut album from Arise and Ruin. The Final Dawn has moments of simple, primitive breakdowns mixed in with melodic metalcore riffing and some clever drumming.

Favorite Tracks:
Bound by Blood
End of the Road
To the Grind
Unbound
Always the Same
In Life

Additional Notes:
n/a