October 4th, 2009 
Grant Trimboli Artist: Asking Alexandria
Album: Stand Up and Scream
Genre: Post-Hardcore / Screamo / Synthcore
Label: Sumerian Records
Asking Alexandria, up and comers from the UK are bringing something a little different with their debut album “Stand Up and Scream” that came out on Sumerian Records September 15th. Trying to prove that there is more to hardcore than breakdowns and screaming lyrics they fuse hardcore with euro trance to create something a little different from the rest of the heard. Being a big fan of Enter Shikari who have been doing the hardcore/euro trance thing for a few years now I was surprised at what I heard for a band that started just last year in 2008.
The album starts off with the intro track “Alerion” which brings the whole broken radio into a smooth catchy techno riff progressing with heavy hitting guitar riffs and drum kicks onto a full on aggressive anthem you would expect from hardcore drawing you in to listen to more. The next track “Final Episode (Let’s Change The Channel)” is just brutal. Danny Worsnop lead vocalist can sing, scream and growl like you wouldn’t believe. He skillfully balances all of these styles and mixes is his native UK accent to create a style that’s just a little bit different than most. The track progresses through the fairly standard hardcore music style with the breakdown you expect but, brings the whole song to end with a euro trance riff laden over with guitar and melodic vocals that brings the song to an end.
The album progresses with fairly the same style between all the songs. “Hey There Mr.Brooks” which features vocals of Mike from Alesana has a nice strings section that seems to add some dimension to the track but ends with muttered random screams that in my opinion strays from what the rest of the album is portraying. The album continues with relatively the same song progression and of course all the breakdowns, melodic bridges, and slow or techno outros. The song “Not the American Average” stands out against the rest as it doesn’t really sound like anything else on the album but still has all the intensity as the rest, just less growls and more harmonics. Tracks you definitely should look out for are “If You Can’t Ride Two Horses At Once…You Should Get Out Of The Circus”, “A Prophecy”, and “I Was Once, Possibly, Maybe, Perhaps A Cowboy King”.
Overall the album flows together really well. Musically they do some new and interesting things that aren’t heard often. Besides the fact it is a little generic to the genre they stand aside in the fact that every instrument adds to the whole where one doesn’t over power the other. The lyrics at times don’t make sense at times but oh does it have its amazing one-liners. Over all this is a very epic album and if you don’t already own it buy it.
Check them out http://www.myspace.com/askingalexandria
7.5/10
Written by Jacob Bottomley
- MUSIC VIDEO: Tear Out The Heart Ft. Dan Marsala (Story Of The Year) – “Coffin Eyes” - August 5, 2013
- Sleeping With Sirens Announce The Feel This Tour - August 5, 2013
- MIXTAPE: Curren$y & Jet Life – ‘Red Eye’ - August 3, 2013
Posted in 
Tags: 
for a 1st time band….awsome!
This is one fine record . Has everything I could ask for . As my freinds evolved into suicide silence job for a cowboy etc. I still love the melodic metalcore and trully enjoy this record . Most of my freinds won’t give it a real chance because of the things they have heard and there missiny out . This record is jammed with brutal screams breutiful melodies and great break downs . The synth beats add a lil something special and diffrent . These guys can play and danny belts out brutal high and low screams and then at a drop of a line burts out with a great singing voice . Go check them out . Myspace youtube itunes where ever . They are worth a lisen . Best thing I’ve heard in a long time