Replacing a frontman is never a simple task. Replacing a frontman as noticeable and as infamous as Frank Carter was when he was in Gallows is nearly impossible. However, sometimes fate has things paved out for us before we even know what's about to happen. Case in point: Gallows's new self-titled album. After Carter's departure from the band, and on the heels of the lukewarm reception to Grey Britain, many feared that the bell had tolled from the band. That is, until screamo staple Alexisonfire broke up, leaving the punk-minded Wade McNeill without a creative outlet. In one of the most improbable occasions of "right-place, right-time," Gallows 2.0 was formed, but how does it compare?
Gallows begins with a female speaker eerily drudging the opener "Victim Culture" along, before McNeill enters the fray, and the band explodes into a fast-paced, driving punk song. "Everybody Loves You (When You're Dead)" opens with an arena-ready guitar solo, and McNeill's sludgy, dark growl powers the track alongside brilliant guitar work. "Last June" begins with drummer Lee Barratt pounding the kit, and the unrelenting track is intensified each time Barratt changes pace.
McNeill relaxes his voice at the beginning of "Outsider Art," and when he goes back into his growl, the band is waiting for him, providing gang vocals that help the track stand out as one of the album's signature tracks. The darkly-toned beginning of "Austere" makes way for yet another blistering track for McNeill to yell over. There's no shortage of darkness in Gallows, as McNeill paints himself as a jaded, broken man in nearly every song, but he plays the part very well, and his vocal delivery is one of the biggest improvements from Grey Britain. It's obvious to point to the shift between McNeill's bark and Carter's, but it seems McNeill's arrival has revitalized the band, who come off more energetic and precise than ever. "Odessa" is a driving anthem, and "Cult of Mary" is another treat, featuring the eerie reading of a prayer by a young child.
Still, Gallows leaves the listener with a little bit more to be desired. While the album is certainly an improvement on the band's previous work, it's very clear this band has the potential to rise to the level of bands like The Chariot and McNeill's old band, who found ways to push the boundaries of what people define as post-hardcore, punk/hardcore, and metalcore. At face value, this album is a straightforward romp through McNeill's field of anger, and the tracks are a tornado through that field, leaving nothing but darkness and destruction in its wake. With this self-titled effort, it's clear that Gallows have survived Frank Carter's departure. The only question that now remains is, how high can they climb from here?
The Bottom Line: The album is a sonic departure from Orchestra of Wolves and Grey Britain, but there's plenty of highs in Gallows to get your head bobbing and your mind steaming with McNeill's anger. After the ending breakdown of "Cross of Lorraine" pummels your eardrums, it's clear that Gallows has a new emphasis on creating the heaviest punk/hardcore songs this side of the Pond.
Recommended if you Rock: letlive.'s Fake History, The Chariot's Long Live, Every Time I Die's Gutter Phenomenon
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