As They Burn – Will, Love, Life (Victory)
Sunday, 28th April 2013
The hand signal depicted on Will, Love, Life looks awfully familiar to the one former pro wrestler “Diamond” Dallas Page used to do. Along with his calling card of “self high-five,” DDP busted out said hand signal (“The Diamond Cutter”) on his way to the ring, usually accompanied by his rather good-looking manager/wife. Pro wrestlers, athletes, and musicians are all in the same boat – they can somehow snag the ladies, so take heed, kiddies. Nevertheless, DDP once tried to sue Jay-Z for use of The Diamond Cutter…wonder if he’ll try to sue As They Burn. It’s possible.
A Parisian entry, As They Burn sound decidedly American. Not only do they employ the same stupid, annoying “bounce” deathcore riff that so many before them have used, they try to infuse a keyboard player who for the most part, is pretty invisible. So naturally, there’s a direct line to an absentee ivory-handler and As They Burn’s originality: they’re not visible, so they’re invisible. One can’t fault the band’s attention to brutality (“The Conscious Man” is probably a song the band calls for circle pits live), but such a composite of Whitechapel, The Devil Wears Prada, and Oceano…man, what a waste.
