Insanity Arise - Sinnerside

Metalcore seems to be the thing these days, as there are so many bands shelling out that type of music. Insanity Arise have been around to the metalcore scene for almost seven years now, with a few demos here and there. Only recently have they come to fruition with their full length debut, Sinnerside. Everything about it breathes intensity, but it's slightly generic. The band seems focused on hammering out chords over and over in a speed metal fashion over semi-barked vocals that have a scream to them that sounds like one of the many hardcore or metalcore bands that are young and trying to break into the metal scene. It just so happened that due to hard work and dedication, Insanity Arise ended up getting the record deal. But, that doesn't mean their music is a masterpiece.

For the most part, the music by Insanity Arise is mediocre at best. Focusing on deathcore inspired riffs and speed mixed with precision, the guitars tear across tracks like "In My Crane" while the drums hammer away in the background. Sometimes they're more chugging with a bit more crunch on songs like "Insomnia" with a few added breakdowns, but for the most part the guitar parts of the music are power chords only. There's some melody mixed in, but not much. Some of the more melodic tracks are "Burning My Shadow," which doesn't just jump right into the rhythm as it starts out slow and builds up, which is a great formula. The vocals are probably the most generic part of the music as they mostly just scream away for the sake of screaming with not much in the emotional sense (that can be discerned at least). It's a scream that metalcore fans have probably heard across countless albums, so it won't exactly 'wow' anyone. Going back to "Burning My Shadow," though, another reason this song is so good aside from the different musical approach is that the vocalist actually tries singing this time, and even though it may not be as powerful as some power metal singers, it is still a very welcome reprieve from all the screaming that has been heard because it adds a whole new layer of melody to the music.

In fact, "Burning My Shadow" may be the only interesting track on the album. The following songs fall back to the crunching formula of the first five, leaving an air of disappointment. However, there's still hope. The fact that there's such a track on the album gives way to the idea that the band can expand on their melodies and create something that isn't so generic or forgetful the next time. There's potential in Insanity Arise; they just have to grasp it. Those who are seeking heavy metalcore and want to try out this debut will probably enjoy it if they are fans of The Autumn Offering or Arkea.

  1. Sinside
  2. Telescopic Scream
  3. Insomnia
  4. Being Human
  5. Storm In A Box
  6. Standing In A Corner
  7. In My Crane
  8. Burning My Shadow
  9. Die
  10. Tower Of Hate

Alkemist Fanatix
Reviewer: Colin McNamara
May 27, 2010

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