It's been quite some time since Another Breath released Mill City. Granted it has only been a few years, but in hardcore that means an eternity; a lot has transpired in the world of hardcore since 2006. Countless bands have come and gone. Some have come back too! Essentially, the entire landscape of hardcore has transformed.
In spite of all the changes that have occurred, one can always count on the fact that the music will remain inspired. The God Complex is no different. The album showcases vocalist Ted Winkworth's internal discussion on the existence of a higher power. Instead of falling into clichéd footholds that many preceding musicians have, Winkworth personalizes the story and takes on the issue in an educated manner.
Musically, The God Complex is just as strong as the lyrical component. The album begins with "No God" and I immediately remember why I loved Another Breath so much. Powerful guitars that remind me of Quicksand lead the song into action. The song shifts its focus to standard fair hardcore with fast-paced drumming and more upbeat guitars. Eventually the song reverts to the thick grooves of the rhythm section with the driving guitars returning. "Sin Eater" follows a similar line of fusing melodic hardcore, post-hardcore grooves, and the aggression of modern hardcore. Kids bummed out that Verse and Have Heart broke up should be spinning the fuck out of this record.
If there were one song that I would play to get someone to purchase this record it would be "I Want to Live." The song absolutely shreds and the lyrics to the song are on point as well.
The title-track provides a nice juxtaposition to the preceding track with its muted guitar opening - with sporadic flourishes of drums providing the backdrop for Winkworth's coarse yells. The remainder of the band eventually joins in for the final third of the song and pushes the song towards its conclusion. "Makyo" is another more experimental song with its equal moments of melancholic noodling and modern hardcore aggression.
But for the most part Another Breath sticks to straight forward hardcore. The music is aggressive and has a slight metallic element, but its deeply rooted in the melodic sounds of early Revelation Records too.
The God Complex proves to be another great release from Another Breath. Lyrically, the album is a bit denser than their previous affairs so that can be a little heavy to absorb at times. But I'd much rather have substance over nothing. Another Breath has proven that their downtime did not go to waste with their most complete album to date.
