Confide - Review

Artist: Confide
Album: Recover
Label: Tragic Hero Records
Release Date: May 18, 2010
Rating: 4/5
RIYL: Of Mice & Men, We Came As Romans, Our Last Night

May 18 marks the release of Confide’s second full-length album. The Los Angeles based quintet has been in circulation since 2004 and has been quite successful in making their mark on metalcore. Those familiar with the band’s previous release “Shout the Truth” can expect something somewhat similar, along with some major upgrades. This time around the band worked together with famed producer Joey Sturgis (“We Came As Romans”, “Of Mice & Men”, “Attack Attack!”) to develop what is now Recover.

Anyone familiar with Joey Sturgis and the bands that he works with are aware of the sound that they usually produce. If you despise that sound and dislike the bands mentioned above, then you may not enjoy much of what Recover has to offer. Confide’s new sound falls somewhere in between “The Devil Wears Prada” and “Before their Eyes”. It definitely isn’t something we haven’t all heard before but the band does a really solid job of mixing these popular styles. Most all of the tracks on the album follow a very similar pattern and direction. This formula works well for the band but unfortunately anyone looking for a lot of variety is going to be really disappointed. Literally nothing ever jumps out at you during this record, definitely Recover’s biggest flaw. Despite this the tracks are all enjoyable minus only one or two obvious filler tracks.

The album’s first half is stronger than the latter, though none of the tracks seem to be a major letdown. A few songs are clearly better than the rest and these include “Now or Never”, “The View From My Eyes” and “Tighten It Up”. Not much of the album needs to be heard to determine whether you’re going to enjoy this or not. If you like the first few tracks then it is definitely for you, if not go ahead and stop because not much is going to change.

The primary elements here include lots of chugging, low growling, clean sections and then a breakdown or two. This constantly repeats but fortunately Confide is very good at what they do. The songs are heavy but very catchy. The hooks and lyrics will be stuck in your head for some time. The lyrics are inspiring and easy to relate to. The instrumentals may not be the most creative but they get the job done and sound good, with thanks to Mr. Sturgis for the incredible production value. Both the screaming and clean singing are extremely impressive, and make a great pair. Together, all of this combines to produce one hell of a sound.

Confide have clearly taken a new approach toward their music. Though they may appear to be jumping on the bandwagon with what’s popular, this latest record is their best work to date. No doubt the band’s popularity will significantly grow with this release, and they’ve earned it. Despite the lack of innovation, Recover is a lot of fun and definitely worth a listen.