Somehow I don't think it's a coincidence that this album is called Beauty and the Breakdown as the album is basically one long breakdown. Just when you thought moshcore couldn't get any more boring, Bury Your Dead thought it was necessary to deliver another all-too-predictable dose of rehashed Hatebreed-esque anthems. This album is basically a continuation of Cover Your Tracks, and you'll be lucky to hear (maybe) three different notes on the entire album.
Bury Your Dead continue their theme-oriented releases with another string of conceptual titles. On Cover Your Tracks, every song was named after a Tom Cruise movie. This time, the theme is fairy tales, with song titles such as "House of Straw," "A Glass Slipper," and "The Poison Apple."
Musically, the band inserts some cheesy effects and electronics to little effect on such tracks as "The Poison Apple." And if you were to ask me for standout tracks, well, I really wouldn't have an answer because they all basically sound the same. But that comes with the territory. Bands like Bury Your Dead have been dragging the name of hardcore through the dirt for a while now and you'd think they'd at least get kind of tired of it. Although I have no issues with the tough-guy aesthetic, when it is coupled with mind-numbing breakdowns, the result is pretty unimpressive. But I have to give these guys at least a point for keeping it catchy. This is not a difficult listen by a long shot, just a boring one.
As you would expect, this is basically easy-listening hardcore that has been produced for mass-consumption. If you're already a fan of Bury Your Dead, Hatebreed, or any other mosh-driven music, you would probably enjoy this since it sounds exactly the same as all your favorite albums.
