Today Forever
The New Pathetic
5
Synopsis:
Germany’s Today Forever claim to be “dragging hardcore to its future destination”, and I can see why they are having to drag it; it does not want to go there with them.
Review:
Culling every popular cliche of the Hot Topic style of metalcore and hardcore, Today Forever have named their album aptly as the album is just a blatant mish-mash of every single rampantly bad element of today’s kiddie metal scene.
I wouldn’t be so negative if they just did one solidly, but Today Forever insist on being so undecided on what style of popular core they wanted to play as they flip-flop from discordant atonal spasms (“Adventures of Nothing”), gang chant littered anthemics (“Payne”), tough guy hardcore (“Pride Chance”, “Better Values”, “I’m Guilty Honey”), poppy punk (“Giving Up on Illusions”, “I’m Dating Jill”), or layered and acoustic filled emo/metalcore (The New Pathetic”, “The Burden I Draw”, “Somehow We Become”, “Champagne For the Chambermaid”, “Input”). It’s not subtle shifts or clever melding either, it's awkward obvious clashing of styles all with gruff but non-committal vocals that, except for briefly on “The Trigger Pulled”, never change.
The monotone, stale production lacks life and character matching the music that comes across as hardcore played by cardboard cutouts. The songs are just blah, and even the oft used gang vocals are bereft of energy.
The New Pathetic is everything wrong about modern music.
