We often speak of redundancy when it comes to musical genres. There are a lot of metal bands that sound the same, there are a lot of pop-punk bands that sound the same, there are a lot of emo bands that sound the same, and there are tons and tons of hardcore bands that sound the same.
Philadelphia's This Day Forward don't sound like anything you've heard before. Their LP of early material called "Fragments Of An Untold Story Born By Shunning The Opportunity" is pulverizing, brutal metalcore and it sounds like a lot of brutal, pulverizing metalcore that is out there today. It's killer, but it's not unique. With "The Transient Effects Of Light On Water" they break from the stale mold that is today's hardcore, and show why they are one of the best acts going today.
The band adds more melody to the songs, and the songs, well... they are amazing! Led by singer Mike Shaw, the band plays tight, heavy, yet genuinely beautifu hardcore music. The songs shake the very foundation of your soul. There are hundreds of men that sing in hardcore bands, and many of them scream till they are blue in the face. Yawn. Mike Shaw's screams are so filled with emotion and power you are left in complete headbanging amazement. The songs easilly roll into one another, in fact the first 6 tracks are some of the best...My Unbroken Reflection, Cupid's Diary, and Kissing Perfections Cheek are insane.
This Day Forward has this unique ability to weave structure changes into their songs wheter it be pulverizing breakdowns or melodic lullabys. The hard, heavy changes aren't in the vein of Dillenger Escape Plan, they are smooth, not crisp and crunchy. Take the epic song, and crowd favorite, If I Wore A Mask...this song is truly something to behold the way it seemingly gets heavier and heavier as it rolls along. Writing In Cursive is a beautiful song that also grabs you by the throat and shakes you around like a 900 lb gorilla. All of the songs are like this and This Day Forward has put their name on the map, and they are looking down at everyone else.
If you like brutal breakdowns, gutteral, soul-searing screams, as well as delicate harmonizing and tranquility go listen to this now. Also, This Day Forward is a sight to behold live...words can't describe it so I won't even try.