out this week: Lower 13 - melodic groove from Ohio, USA

Lower 13

Embrace The Unknown

Pure Steel Records

August 27th 2021

Lower 13 began in 2006 and in 2010 their debut album was released. Their practice is to release an album every four years or so, and in 2021 they have their fourth album. Apparently, they have had the same three members, if we look at the information on Metal Archives. Looking at the pictures of the band, it is to be concluded that they must have been very young when they began because nowadays they look young still. Anyway, they play in a bit of an eclectic way, something like U.S. melodic groove, with bits of various sounds in some 42 minutes and nine songs. The opening song is melodic thrash featuring singing and a bit of blasting, with some background screams/growls/gang shouts, resulting in a contemporary gritty power thrash. The second song shows two melodic singing voices, and continues the style of melodic groove thrash/power, headbanging songs. The third song flaunts a heavier, groovier, djentier sound with growl/scream vocals, and sounding a bit unique, with metalcore vibes, which, in my opinion, were not very present on the first two songs. The fourth song is a bit of a power ballad, in hard rock/heavy metal/metalcore way.

Here's the deal. All sorts of bits seem to sneak into the sound. At times you might even hear a bit of pop punk melodic or alternative feel or some classic/hard rock. The guitars sometimes groove a lot, then might get thrashy, and after that, more melodic. This is not to say that the album sounds like a compilation. Maybe it helps to see a traditional heavy metal/hard rock and metalcore/groove forming some type of alliance, but succeeding in making a coherent spectrum united by the melodic singing, some extreme vocals, grooving/thrashy guitars. The execution is not too busy, either, as if the band works with the objective that their music is meant to performed live by the three members. The music is uptempo and rocking, and sounds both young (in an American metal way) and done well, too.

https://www.puresteel-shop.com/LOWER-13-Embrace-The-Unknown_1

https://www.facebook.com/Lower13official

Lower 13 - "Embrace The Unknown" - official Video (PURE STEEL RECORDS)

If you would like to hear more, this is the band's 2016 album.

Restore the Order by Lower 13