I know what you're thinking..."Yet another Christian metalcore band." Sure, they may share a label with generic bands such as Inhale/Exhale and Oh, Sleeper, but believe me, Advent is nothing like that.

Hailing from North Carolina, Advent is a four-piece band that contains two ex-members of Beloved, Joe Musten and Johnny Smrdel. This said, don't expect any clean singing, breakdowns, melodic guitars, or any true melody for that matter. Musically, it is full of thrashing guitars and a unique-sounding vocalist. This album is chaotic, raw and relentless.

The album starts off with a foreboding intro track that transitions smoothly into the first real track, "Nothing." This track sets the tone for the rest of the album. Its fast pace and raw sound punches you in the mouth when you first hear it. Tracks such as "Pack of Fools," "Golgotha," "Crown of Thorns" and "Pierced with Grief" blast forth with a full head of steam. But they pale in comparison to the album's standout track, "Naked and Cold." The track is over four minutes long, one of the few songs to even break the three-minute mark. It starts off with a few drum kicks, and then all hell breaks loose. Musten truly shows his vocal intensity and prowess on this track. His unique bark sounds ferocious and pissed off. Around the 2:45 mark, the song seemingly ends, only to restart with even more speed.

Lyrically, Musten writes passionately. Generally they are about his view on the world and humanity. The track "Naked and Cold" showcases this with the lines, "...We are the product of mass prescription, sold to the sellers of every trend. Bound and gagged by the institutions, silence is their greatest demand. Will we use our voices to say anything worth saying at all?" On other songs, Musten's lyrics take a more obvious Christian tone: "Your blood, it sets me free. The chains of death are no more. The chains of death are loosened for all; atonement for all sin" is said on the track "Golgotha." I know this may turn some people off but never are the lyrics preachy or clichéd. They are full of heartfelt passion.

Advent is truly one of the most ferocious bands in the hardcore scene today. They've shared the stage with the likes of some of hardcore's most well-received bands of the current times: Shai Hulud, Blacklisted, etc. To all those who will refuse to give this a listen due to the band's Christianity, you're truly missing out. This band will blow you away.