Misery Signals

Metalcore acts aren't known for lengthy hiatuses, but then again, Misery Signals' level of acclaim and dedication to their artistry aren't exactly par for the course. Managing to generate quite a bit of pre-release buzz despite their lack of steady touring and the considerable delay following 2008's masterful Controller, the band have all but banished any doubts and thoroughly delivered the goods. The fundamental style of the band remains the same: bright, post-rock-inflected guitar leads weaving between barrelling bursts of Meshuggah mosh, with an almost overwhelming attention to detail. The noticeably mid-scooped production takes a bit of getting used to, serving the heavier bits better than the progressive ones, but doesn't threaten to compromise the indisputable advantages Misery Signals have over their imitators and tangentially related contemporaries. Said advantages are nearly a decade-plus of experience honing their craft and an unwillingness to bow to the more gimmicky elements that dilute the works of less cohesive units. Absorb, for instance, the preternatural brilliance of album highlight "Two Solitudes," which marries a taught, cyclical melody with deft brushes of electronics and the balletic stagger of Brandon Morgan's remarkable drumming. If you're looking for emotive, technically proficient metalcore and aren't a fan, you have slept on one of the best bands to ever ply this style for an unnecessarily long time. For those already familiar, your opinion is unlikely to shift drastically as a result of Absent Light, but if you're old enough to have followed the group since their inception, you may find your appreciation for the genre's less contrived and syrupy heyday rekindled.