Life In Your Way

...And Still Our Time Is Endless (2003)

Dan Perrone

Most of you don't know this band yet. I can tell you this much; you will soon.

Life In Your Way is a melodic hardcore band out of Connecticut, and they share
a guitarist with the amazing band With Honor. If I could describe Life In Your Way, I'd
say they combine the heaviness and breakdowns of Evergreen Terrace with the
technicality (although not as crazy) and passion of Shai Hulud. The combination of the
elements works well, and while I can't say that these guys are the most innovative band
ever, it's surely a breath of fresh air in a genre that's been lacking as of late.

The album isn't one huge breakdown, but it is still massively heavy in parts, combined
with melodic (but not cheesy) bridges and great singing. The singing is what sets this
band apart from other bands in the genre; it's actually very good, as opposed to the rather
crappy singing that some hardcore bands try to pull off (I'm giving angry looks in the
directions of Evergreen Terrace and Converge, regardless of their excellence). The
screaming on the album isn't growling, nor is it shrieking, but it almost sits the fence
between the two, adding a lot of power and heart to the mix. There's much more
screaming than singing on …And Still Our Time Is Endless, but the singing allows
for a change of pace and the reduction of redundancy. The drumming is phenomenal, with
fill after fill after fill keeping the listener just waiting to see what the drummer will do next.
It's not overdone, but it is spectacular. Life In Your Way shows some obvious talent on
this release, and they put it to use very well, as shown in the actual songs.

I've got to take time out to mention the lyrics, which I find to be very well-written. I wish
the booklet told me who wrote them, because I'd like to give the man's name, but as for
now, this guy in the band who I really don't know gets major props. They're not about
death and decay, or killing your girlfriend by stabbing her in the face and eating her heart
(did I just hear someone mutter "Senses Fail" underneath a cough?), but they offer some
positivity and a nice outlook on the future of relationships. It's something I don't really
see in lyrics anymore, so I figured I'd bring it to everyone's attention.

"For The Flames Beneath Your Bridge, My Hearts Collapsed" kicks the album off with
gang vocals and a huge breakdown within the first half minute, and through the next four
minutes, you're taken on a roller coaster of huge riffs and powerful screaming. If there's
one thing Life In Your Way does right, it's end their songs with a bang, and this song is
no exception, as the build-up from the melodic bridge to the end is excellent. "Not A
Word" has the best melodic parts of the whole album, and the lead guitar part at the end is
great, along with the start-stop breakdown with the whole band screaming along.
"Rewrite My Concepts" shows a slower pace, but the heaviness is still intact. The fourth
track, "Long Letters", has a nice spoken word part and showcases, once again, a huge
ending. The middle of the album drags a little bit with "Meant To Be" and "My
Devotion", but I like the lyrics best on these songs. The strongest track on the album (and
a fan favorite when played live) is "Fall", which starts out with an awesome scream of
"My Voice Fell!!!", which is followed by a mid-tempo bone-crunching hell of a song
with a captivating ending. After an interlude from a movie that I don't know the name of
(but it is a pretty good intro to a song), "Behind Unseen Walls" comes out with the fastest
opening on the CD, as well as the slowest and darkest bridge on the album. The almost
ghost-like backup vocals at the end are a nice touch. Finally, the full-band acoustic song,
"When It All Comes Down", ends the album on a great note. This song is absolutely
amazing, and utilizes the piano as well. The emotional screaming of "You told me to
sing - here is my song" is spine-tingling. This song may be one of the best "acoustic
song from a hardcore band" that I've ever heard. Two thumbs up.

If you're looking for good hardcore music off of a label that has a LOT going for it
(Indianola) from guys who truly care about their music and know what they're doing, pick
up …And Still Our Time Is Endless See them live too, because they're playing a
few shows with Beloved, which should be a real treat. I'll be looking forward to
hearing more from this band in the future.

Standout Tracks:

"For The Flames Beneath Your Bridge, My Hearts Collapsed"
"Now A Word"
"Fall"
"When It All Comes Down"