So I've spent all morning listening to this new Choke cd that I picked up at their release party last night. There's definitely something different about this album. I'm not sure if it's different usage of vocals or the more "mature" sound of the album, but one thing is for sure: this is definitely a step in the right direction.

I consider myself to be the ultimate Foreword fan (Choke's last CD),so at this moment I can't say with any certainty that the new album is as good but it is definatley an album that is more artistic, accessible, yet still maintains the unique sound that Choke is known for.

The band has added more harmony and mellow, slow riffs; a plus for those of you who before felt that Choke's style was too technical or that sound was just to weird to get used to. For those that enjoy the old Choke sound, don't worry, the album is still chock full of crazy time signatures, intense vocals, and light speed guitars and drums that were present on prior albums.

The album's bright spots are the reworked version of With Every Word (now just called Every Word), as well as new songs such as Forget to Learn, Far From True, Signing Off, as well as Framed in Poor Light. The only weak spot on the album is the reworked version of Fourteen Days, which was much better on the Across the Water split.

The ultimate acheivement of this album is that it's sound is more accessible and pragmatic than albums of the past, yet it still maintains a totally unique, intense, and intellegent sound that only Choke can create. After Needless to Say, I thought, "Wow this band has already done all there is to do.". After Foreword I said, "This is the pinnacle of music, nothing will be able to top this.". Now with There's a Story to This Moral, I'm not going to make any assumptions, because I know that Choke will continue to put the utmost effort and heart into everything they create, thus continuing to amaze me for many albums to come. I just can't imagine what is going to be next.