Wings of Azrael Suspension of Disbelief (2004) Bridgeport Entertainment

Mediocre music seems to be the trend these days. I think most people will attest to that. Even fans of punk and hardcore music are drowning in this generic sea of misery. Does this sound like the same thing you read in every positive review? Well, fear not my fellow listeners, for I have a surprise for you! Here we have an amazing new band from PA that should really have grabbed your attention already. No? Well, I'm certainly not surprised. Pretty much no one I have ever talked to knows about Wings of Azrael. Well, now you know, too.

Wings of Azrael could be described as post-hardcore, emo, indie, etc. Well, I have one word to describe their first release, Suspension of Disbelief: spectacular. This EP has only five songs on it, but tops out at about 25 minutes. Yes, three of them are six minutes long, but that is nothing that incredible musicianship cannot cure. The album ignites with "Auburn Road," followed by the delayed and dramatic "Ceramic" and my personal favorite, the ever-so-fierce "A Breath That Ends What Chokes Begin." The fury winds down with the sounds of regret in "Autumn in July." Finally, the EP is finished off with the reflective and purposefully repetitive, yet melodic and beautiful "Ellipses." This album has almost the perfect blend of melodic singing and hardcore throat-cutting sound for those who like either. The lyrics are truly poetic, filled with a myriad of extreme emotions, which makes listening to the album so much better.

I give this album a 9 out of 10. Honestly, I loved it the first time I heard it. Months ago, it would have been a 10, but I can undertand why many people may not see it my way. However, this is one of the few albums that has not lost a shred of its appeal over time. I'm not going to give a list of similar bands because these guys have their own truly unique sound. This band is truly underrated and is absolutely worth a good listen. It's definitely a better choice than most of the overmanufactured screamo that we hear every day.

(whatchokesbegin)