Review
Vocalist Jay Valentine utilizes more clean singing than ever before on Armour Of Angels, pushing the Manchester metallic-hardcore quintet toward the spotlight under their new home on Roadrunner Records. Driven by the formidable fretwork of guitarists Jak Maden and Sam Baker, the record lands as a polished, heavy-hitting collection of twelve brawny hardcore anthems built on distinct nu-metal leanings and bruising riffs.
While critics agree on the band's sheer muscle, opinions split on its grander ambitions. Kerrang! championed the release as “the musical equivalent of an army that’s enjoyed many great victories,” stuffed with “moments of quality.” Yet, others find their crossover pivots—such as the Sonny Sandoval-featuring track “Resurrected”—to be a bit calculated. The Soundboard noted the band seems to be “trying to engineer more” than their natural hardcore boundaries allow, resulting in an album that works but isn’t as “special” as they hope. Still, its “guitar musculature” and relentless energy make it a potent, albeit familiar, victory lap.
