The Lost, The Sick, The Sacred starts off with this atmospheric near dirge ditty that I thought I might have a Joy Division clone on my hands. That would have been a treat, sadly the guitars down tune, the drums begin the pummel, and then some screaming is started. Oh of course, it wouldn't be today's metalcore without some nicely sung vocals ruining every single chorus.
The rest of the The Lost, The Sick, The Sacred follows suit with it's clear but still chunky production thick with bombastic drums and guitar squeals. Inhale Exhale's sound lies somewhere between Underoath and Norma Jean so they will be a hit with the Christian hardcore fans that go to Cornerstone Fest every year.
I actually don't mind Inhale Exhale so much when they play half-assed metal as they hit a decent groove and don't rely on any mosh parts. It's very in your face, pulverizing, and might make one head bang if one was so inclined. However, the sung vocals ruin everything and seem to be the main focus in most of the songs on The Lost, The Sick, The Sacred. The songs are built around Johnny No-Nuts time in the spotlight whining about girls or Jesus. Sorry I really don't want to take a gander at the lyric sheet, it might just ruin Inhale Exhale a little more for me.
Oh what the hell. Lyrically, Inhale Exhale sings about sorrow, suffering, and tears rolling down cheeks of empty smiles. I figured the lyrics would be heavy-handed, poetically waxed, and filled with bullshit imagery. However the song, "Dance All Night" seems to be about how the Christian Church being in denial, living in the past, and how it refuses to change. That took me a back for a bit as I can't recall any Christian rock outfits actually getting in the face of the Church. Punk rock lives.
The Lost, The Sick, The Scared is a decent albeit predictable disc of metallic hardcore that thankfully didn't have any mosh parts. However, Inhale Exhale unfortunately relied way too heavily on "get the girl" singing parts that had me reaching for the "next track" button more often than not. I'm sure the black swoop haired kids will think Inhale Exhale is the next Underoath and buy up their CDs or download it into their iPods. For me The Lost, The Sick, The Sacred becomes just another CD I'll be selling for food next month.
