IN MEMORY... review - Hooks for Days
(Reviewed by Melody Werner)
In Memory... is the 2019 sophomore album of independent band, Reason Define. Reason Define is a hard rock/heavy metal band from North Carolina, who give me some gothed out Alter Bridge vibes sonically. The most immediately noticeable fact about them is that they're all badass ladies, which is pretty cool since you still have chud metalheads who pretend that women can't go as hard as guys. Which is so clearly fucking stupid and has been disproven a thousand times over--the trans icon that is Marissa Martinez, hello?! As the band's lead vocalist rightfully sums things up, "It shouldn’t be surprising when a girl walks up on stage with her giant bass cabinet and Marshall stacks, but it is." So I won't be focusing on that for the rest of this review; I have no interest in reducing this band's music down to their femininity, since that'd be pretty patronizing. I'd rather gush about how much they fucking shredddddd.
Instrumentally, Reason Define is immensely impressive--a chasmic improvement going by what little I have dipped into their 2017 debut record, Far From Strangers. The intro to "Innocent" is a bone-crushing bolt of lightning, and there are a bunch more excellent, roaring passages of instrumentation like that throughout. Massive kudos to Caitlin Rutkowski, Savannah "Sav" Ruff, Syd McVicker, and Shelby McVicker for their contributions. They all kick ass and keep the album afloat on their side of things handily. I don't know who does the piano playing on their grand piano ballad, "Mirrors," but they also did a great job.
Paolina Massaro, the lead vocalist, may not have the tremendous, theatrical style of a Rob Halford or a Chuck Billy, but she has a great range and a commanding presence all the same. She has this great energy, and her voice is fantastic. She sells the passionate, introspective lyrics. Let's talk about those, because they're unfortunately one of the weakest elements of the album. Not bad per se, and it's admirable that they're not afraid to journey into deeper emotions--but this thing deals in so many boring clichés, and isn't really doing anything clever with them. That said, I HAVE to compliment the hook construction here, because it's the album's secret weapon. All of the hooks and choruses have an addictive quality to them that leaves you dying for more. They sweep you up into the tune wonderfully, and I adore how these songs progress.
In terms of flow, I dig it. It's not really a record that starts aggressive and calms down, or the opposite--it's its own thing. I respect that, and the journey from opener to closer is very enjoyable. There aren't really any outright clunkers in the tracklist, though there are some moments when it definitely feels like you're on a weaker track when it comes to the verses; paging "Reaper." There's not really any songs that I feel the urge to skip, aside from the title track which comes off as completely unnecessary on repeat listens (it's an instrumental cut and seems more of an ambient lead-in, mind you). It helps that the album is pretty trimmed, and doesn't feel like a slog to listen to from front to back.
In Memory... is a marked step up from Reason Define's previous work, with the band coming into their own. I still think they can get even better from this. Highlights I'd point to are "Waves," "Mirrors," "Pointing Fingers," "Forgiveness Again," and "Innocent." But if you want beautiful vocals, the closer ("All I've Got") shows Paolina's versatility. I am so fucking down for whatever they do next, and it sucks that they're THIS goddamned underrated. And here I thought Moon Tooth deserved way more love, but these ladies barely have over 1,000 fucking monthly listeners on Spotify. Disgusting. Take this 9/10, Reason Define. You deserve it.
Awesome
Summary:
Stellar hooks, somber lyricism, towering instrumentals, and powerful vocals lead to In Memory... being a huge step up for this highly underrated band--and leaves plenty of room for growth.
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