Two weeks back, Arms Against a Sea called it quits, after four years of making a pretty damn good go of being a progressive metal/indie rock band. Their full-length, The Martyr, the Culprit, the Price, was a smoldering debut, hinting at some serious potential. So, what do they do on the occasion of their very last show?
Release an even better seven-song follow-up, of course. Grab it on Bandcamp right now and pay what you feel like.
III is tighter and more focused than the first disc, walking even better the line between melodic drama-rock and screamo-hardcore. Guitarists John Zebley and Dan Rossi, especially, turn in great work, whether the hammer-on lick that opens "Central Park" or the straight-metal million-note solos on "The Light Bestowed upon Us" and "Old Man" or the prickly back-and-forth in the closing "Central Park, Part II."
Frontman Dustin Saucier may strike some as a little nasal, but he has bravado and vamp and it's hard to pull off these moves between full-throttle scream and sweet-voiced even keel.
Hey, bands break up. Guys decide law school is a better bet and they're probably not wrong. But if you're looking for a disc full of dynamic songwriting and performance, you'll be pretty happy Arms Against a Sea left this last piece behind.
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