Review of School For Heroes - The Answer

I'm always on the lookout for solid melodic metalcore. Despite the general lack of metal-cred possessed by this genre, the honest truth is that I like heavy, melodic, catchy music. But, perhaps like an obsessed convenience store shopper who riffles through the Twinkie display in search of the highest quality cream filled, preservative-laced pasty, I too have my standards when it comes to junk food. So, even though School For Heroes meet every expectation of a modern melodi-core release with their latest EP, The Answer still probably won't find it's into my regular listening rotation.

The Answer is a satisfyingly live-sounding EP that brings a somewhat rare sense of spontaneity and urgency to a normally calculated and processed genre. There's passion and an awareness that heavy music should sound like it was performed by a group of living musicians on display here; and for that School For Heroes earn points. However, this band's combination of hardcore, metal, and post rock too often sounds slap-dash and under-written. The transitions are under-emphasized, the riffs are flimsy, and the parts that are supposed to be really heavy – simply aren't. Opener, “It's a Party and You're Not Invited,” displays all these inadequacies and makes for an underwhelming opening track.

School For Heroes are a reasonably talented band, in some corner of this sub-genre they have their die-hard fans that will appreciate this EP simply for the intimacy of the recording. But, for those not enrolled, The Answer simply lacks inspiration.

Release Details

School For Heroes

The Answer

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