Review: Adaliah – Broken Families

March 28th, 2012

Ethan Merrick

Artist: Adaliah
Album: Broken Families
Genre: Metalcore/Progressive
Label: Rite of Passage/Mediaskare Records

Last January Adaliah properly introduced themselves with their EP Rituals. The EP gained the band much acclaim from its whirlwind combination of thrashing guitars and crashing drums. Now, a little over a year has passed and Adaliah have released their debut Broken Families. The album is a cacophonic punch to the gut.

It’s obvious that Adaliah have matured as musicians since the release of Rituals; honing their energy into a furious barrage of sonorous guitars and thunderous “clatter-bang” of drums. The driving force behind Adaliah’s metal storm is supplied by vocalists Jorge Sotomayor and Tyler Andre. Throughout Broken Families Sotomayor and Andre have this dynamic vocal interplay; which at times sounds like a fistfight and at other times, an argument. The context for Sotomayor and Andre’s “conversations” are supplied by guitarists Austin Coupe and Paul Knott. Their guitar riffs range from dense morose depths to bright, crisp riffs that seem to hang in the air.

Adaliah have crafted a steller debut album. Broken Families avoids all the traditional pitfalls that seem to plague hardcore albums. Namely that the album’s twelve tracks are all varied and have their own specific sound to them. In short this album is one of the most enjoyable punches to the gut that you are ever likely to receive.

Score: 7/10
Review written by: Ethan Merrick