Rise To Remain - City Of Vultures review

Reviewer:
5.9

13 users:
7.38

Band:	Rise To Remain
Album:	City Of Vultures
Style:	Metalcore
Release date:	September 2011

01. Intro
02. The Serpent
03. This Day Is Mine
04. City Of Vultures
05. Talking In Whispers
06. God Can Bleed
07. Power Through Fear
08. Nothing Left
09. We Will Last Forever
10. Illusions
11. Roads
12. Bridges Will Burn

Goddammit, metalcore, why do you do this to me? We had this great thing going, what with the melo-aggressive riffs, soaring leads and whatnot, then you just turn into pop. Straight up pop. Bullet For My Valentine does it, As I Lay Dying does it, here's another one for that heap.

It's like watching your favourite hockey team down by 1 goal, but choose to dick around with 30 seconds left in the game. Instead of capitalizing on a handful of great opportunities, they continue to meander, passing back and forth, back and forth. The clock is now down to 12 seconds and you've spent the last 18 trying not to rip your eyelids off in frustration at your teams refusal to just shoot the fucking puck! That's exactly the same feeling you get listening to an album like this: They break out an awesome riff or lead, you feel the tension building, your heart is picking up the pace, you're getting ready to rock out to this climax that is surely right around this next corner...then...then...

It fizzles. They break out in some auto-tuned power ballad. Ever find the perfect rubber band on the ground? The one that has just the right elasticity, nice and taught for good power & trajectory, but still loose enough to pull around your fingers? You spot the ideal unsuspecting coworker who surely deserves a rubber band in the eye, then as you begin to aim, the rubber band breaks. Sure, there's other rubber bands, but by this time the jig is up, everyone knows what you're up to. That's City Of Vultures for you. A 45 minute cock-tease. Awesome build-ups with no explosion. Every time.

Yeah, it's an album chock full of cool metalcore riffs and thundering rhythm segments, but Rise To Remain is a band that just fails to capitalize on them with the same ferocity they build up with. Enough with the constant power ballads, we've all heard this dozens of times before. It wasn't enjoyable then, and it's no more enjoyable now.

Written on 06.01.2012 by

Doc G.

Former EIC. Now just a reviewer guy.

More reviews by Doc G. ››

Guest review by
omne metallum

Rating:
6.5

Following up on the momentum generated off the back of the Bridges Will Burn EP, City Of Vultures had a decent springboard to propel Rise To Remain from metalcore hopefuls to a band who began realizing their potential. Alas, this album nosedives from the height it jumped from rather than soaring like fans would have hoped. Much like many bands of the British metalcore scene, Rise To Remain were unable to transition from the underground and so, this is left as their only full length album.

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published 19.04.2020 | Comments (0)

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Susan Smeghead Posts: 6941 From: USA	Permalink 06.01.2012 - 05:27 Susan Smeghead Posts: 6941 From: USA That is frustrating. I know what you mean about metalcore. I do sometimes think it's something I'm really getting into! Then the shitty, anti-climactic bands take over and ruin it for everyone. It's like... just let the non-shitty groups handle metalcore and everyone will be happy ---- "A life all mine Is what I choose At the end of my days" --The Gathering "A Life All Mine" from Souvenirs Loading...
Boxcar Willy yr a kook Posts: 8972 From: Canada	Permalink 06.01.2012 - 05:30 Boxcar Willy yr a kook Posts: 8972 From: Canada Will avoid, I hate overproduced 12 y/o metalcore. ---- 14:22 - Marcel Hubregtse I do your mum *DESTROY DRUM TRIGGERS* Loading...
Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Posts: 21306 From: Canada	Permalink 06.01.2012 - 07:32 Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Posts: 21306 From: Canada Holy fuck cliche overload, from the band name to the album title and cover art to the actual music. ---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something." Loading...
-Morbid- Posts: 241 From: USA	Permalink 07.01.2012 - 00:30 -Morbid- Posts: 241 From: USA Saw these guys listed as an opening act for a show a while back and didn't know who they were and listened to a song... wasn't that bad as metalcore until the clean vocals started. I'm not one who just hates clean vocals or anything, but the guy doesn't have a great clean voice and they felt very tacked on, and it completely ruined whatever momentum they had built up to that point. Loading...
LordFezzington Lost To Apathy Posts: 390 From: UK	Permalink 07.01.2012 - 00:36 LordFezzington Lost To Apathy Posts: 390 From: UK Surely someone will pop up on here to go all "But the vocalist is Bruce Dickinson's son, he must be good!" No? Alright then... I like the hockey analogy by the way Doc. ---- "Pay no heed to anyone and do what seems right to yourself." - Franz Kafka, The Trial 2022 List: https://metalstorm.net/users/list.php?list_id=7001 2021 List: https://metalstorm.net/users/list.php?list_id=6742 Loading...
Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Posts: 21306 From: Canada	Permalink 07.01.2012 - 01:39 Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Posts: 21306 From: Canada Written by LordFezzington on 07.01.2012 at 00:36 ...the vocalist is Bruce Dickinson's son... Legit? ---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something." Loading...
LordFezzington Lost To Apathy Posts: 390 From: UK	Permalink 07.01.2012 - 01:47 LordFezzington Lost To Apathy Posts: 390 From: UK Written by Troy Killjoy on 07.01.2012 at 01:39 Written by LordFezzington on 07.01.2012 at 00:36 ...the vocalist is Bruce Dickinson's son... Legit? Yep. Admittedly not the greatest source in the world, but: http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=167979 ---- "Pay no heed to anyone and do what seems right to yourself." - Franz Kafka, The Trial 2022 List: https://metalstorm.net/users/list.php?list_id=7001 2021 List: https://metalstorm.net/users/list.php?list_id=6742 Loading...
silenius Posts: 527 From: Sweden	Permalink 07.01.2012 - 02:06 silenius Posts: 527 From: Sweden Aaah shit with some shit and a side dish of shit, that´s all metalcore for ya... Loading...
Void Eater Account deleted	Permalink 07.01.2012 - 03:42 Void Eater Account deleted I thought this style of music was dead already and replaced with crabcore. Loading...
Mattybu Posts: 2589 From: Canada	Permalink 07.01.2012 - 07:21 Mattybu Posts: 2589 From: Canada Written by Guest on 07.01.2012 at 03:42 I thought this style of music was dead already and replaced with crabcore. It's only a matter of time until Post-Tablecore takes over the music world... Loading...
Void Eater Account deleted	Permalink 08.01.2012 - 06:38 Void Eater Account deleted Written by Mattybu on 07.01.2012 at 07:21 Written by Guest on 07.01.2012 at 03:42 I thought this style of music was dead already and replaced with crabcore. It's only a matter of time until Post-Tablecore takes over the music world... Chandeliercore is decent, but tablecore? It seriously needs to die out, it got stale faster than cabinetcore did. Loading...
Moosh666 Posts: 132 From: Australia	Permalink 08.01.2012 - 13:02 Moosh666 Posts: 132 From: Australia Geez why does this site waste their time flaming trendy wannabe shit, why not just not have any of it on the site? There are always gonna' be crappy pop bands people confuse for metal in every decade, just ignore it. Loading...
T_s_T Posts: 85 From: UK	Permalink 08.01.2012 - 21:09 T_s_T Posts: 85 From: UK I read an article recomends this one to Lamb of God and Pantera fans...I can not believe the misguided press these days... Loading...
Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Posts: 21306 From: Canada	Permalink 09.01.2012 - 04:01 Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Posts: 21306 From: Canada Written by Moosh666 on 08.01.2012 at 13:02 Geez why does this site waste their time flaming trendy wannabe shit, why not just not have any of it on the site? Because we aren't elitists? ---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something." Loading...
psykometal A staff guy... Posts: 6101 From: USA	Permalink 10.01.2012 - 04:32 psykometal A staff guy... Posts: 6101 From: USA Written by Troy Killjoy on 09.01.2012 at 04:01 Written by Moosh666 on 08.01.2012 at 13:02 Geez why does this site waste their time flaming trendy wannabe shit, why not just not have any of it on the site? Because we aren't elitists? Urm...one could argue against that Troy. "We aren't Elitists because we allow this stuff on our site...naaah we are Elitists, the only reason to let this stuff on a metal site is so that we can flame the shit out of it right alongside all the other Elitst users on the site. That's how we keep our edge over MA." ---- ~Zep, Database and Forum Moderation~ Loading...
Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Posts: 21306 From: Canada	Permalink 10.01.2012 - 06:29 Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Posts: 21306 From: Canada Written by psykometal on 10.01.2012 at 04:32 Urm...one could argue against that Troy. "We aren't Elitists because we allow this stuff on our site...naaah we are Elitists, the only reason to let this stuff on a metal site is so that we can flame the shit out of it right alongside all the other Elitst users on the site. That's how we keep our edge over MA." Elitistception, clearly. ---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something." Loading...
Moosh666 Posts: 132 From: Australia	Permalink 11.01.2012 - 13:38 Moosh666 Posts: 132 From: Australia Written by Troy Killjoy on 10.01.2012 at 06:29 Written by psykometal on 10.01.2012 at 04:32 Urm...one could argue against that Troy. "We aren't Elitists because we allow this stuff on our site...naaah we are Elitists, the only reason to let this stuff on a metal site is so that we can flame the shit out of it right alongside all the other Elitst users on the site. That's how we keep our edge over MA." Elitistception, clearly. He's right though, no metalhead likes any of this shit, some do put up with shit like Mudvayne, but he's right, it's only either here so trendy wanks will visit the site or just to flame it XD Loading...
Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Posts: 21306 From: Canada	Permalink 11.01.2012 - 23:20 Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Posts: 21306 From: Canada Written by Moosh666 on 11.01.2012 at 13:38 He's right though, no metalhead likes any of this shit... Uh, maybe you don't like melodic metalcore, but I assure you there is quite a large group of people who thoroughly enjoy this kind of music. I don't like the stuff, but I don't like power metal or prog either. Does that mean no metalhead likes any of that shit? Because last time I checked, those genres both have a huge following... ---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something." Loading...
Moosh666 Posts: 132 From: Australia	Permalink 12.01.2012 - 06:14 Moosh666 Posts: 132 From: Australia Written by Troy Killjoy on 11.01.2012 at 23:20 Written by Moosh666 on 11.01.2012 at 13:38 He's right though, no metalhead likes any of this shit... Uh, maybe you don't like melodic metalcore, but I assure you there is quite a large group of people who thoroughly enjoy this kind of music. I don't like the stuff, but I don't like power metal or prog either. Does that mean no metalhead likes any of that shit? Because last time I checked, those genres both have a huge following... Well the majority of my metal mates only endure shit like Black dahlia Murder and Shadows Fall, other than that most metalheads I've met can't stand any of this, or Nu Metal, with a few exceptions enjoying Slipknot or Disturbed, but the majority loathe this. Most Metalcore fans I've met aren't metalheads. Loading...
BlindToNegotiate Posts: 39 From: USA	Permalink 30.03.2012 - 23:28 Rating: 9 BlindToNegotiate Posts: 39 From: USA I can easily see how metalhead's would dislike this album; however, I would like to say from my behalf that I love this album for its aesthetic quality. I do prefer my thrash, death, and countless other sub genres of metal, but I think Rise to Remain have shown themselves here to be a progressive minded metalcore band with fantastic harmonies and, albeit obnoxious, catchy vocals/lyrics. Loading...
Doc G. Full Grown Hoser Posts: 9718 From: Canada	Permalink 30.03.2012 - 23:55 Doc G. Full Grown Hoser Posts: 9718 From: Canada Written by BlindToNegotiate on 30.03.2012 at 23:28 I can easily see how metalhead's would dislike this album; however, I would like to say from my behalf that I love this album for its aesthetic quality. I do prefer my thrash, death, and countless other sub genres of metal, but I think Rise to Remain have shown themselves here to be a progressive minded metalcore band with fantastic harmonies and, albeit obnoxious, catchy vocals/lyrics. Progressive (in the broad sense I assume) is exactly what they aren't. Hence why I rated it so low. It's very very very very typical modern metalcore. ---- "I got a lot of really good ideas, problem is, most of them suck." - George Carlin Loading...
BlindToNegotiate Posts: 39 From: USA	Permalink 31.03.2012 - 18:39 Rating: 9 BlindToNegotiate Posts: 39 From: USA Quote: Written by Doc G. on 30.03.2012 at 23:55 Progressive (in the broad sense I assume) is exactly what they aren't. Hence why I rated it so low. It's very very very very typical modern metalcore. I can definitely see the typicality they hold within the sub-genre, but when I compare them to BFMV or AILD, I find that the technicality and skill these guys posses out-matches the more notable metalcore bands. I should have noted that I am using the term progressive differently than its standard use. By "progressive minded" I don't mean the Symphony X type of song writing with time signature changes and etc., but rather the consistency of playing multiple innovative/technical melodies and riffs throughout most individual songs (such as the self-titled "City of Vultures"), especially when compared to anything off Fever from BFMV, for example. Loading...