Saving Grace: The Urgency

Saving Grace: The Urgency

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Saving Grace “The Urgency” (2014) Review

Artist: Saving Grace

Album: “The Urgency”

Release: 2014

Genre: Metal/Hardcore

Facedown Records has released some of the most iconic records from the world of metal, hardcore and punk. I’ve been a fan since I was a teenager, and even booked some shows with their bands back in 2001 – 2003. The label has gone through transitional stages, with some bands not hitting me as hard, and then they picked up the pace and started signing some incredible bands and putting out albums that completely change the way I’ve viewed their roster. One such signing is that of Saving Grace. The previous releases rocked, but nothing compares to this latest record from the band.


Saving Grace’s “The Urgency” is a ferocious mix of metal riffs, insane drumming, and hardcore balance. It’s a tight rope act of fury that you’re not going to be able to stop. It hits you from the onset with a wall of metallic hardcore that carries so much weight, it nearly hurts the ear drums. The vocals, the guitars, and drums all work together to form a symbiotic relationship with the listener that it reaches beyond comparison at times.

There are moments where you’re hit with hardcore ethos, and out of the blue a guitar solo will hit you or a breakdown of utter rebellion will break up what otherwise may have become monotony. Saving Grace does so many things well on this record that it’s incredible they aren’t a much bigger band. Perhaps this release is going to set them up for major success, as they definitely have the chops to get them very far across the nation and world of metal music.

Lyrically, they are in line with what you would expect from the Christian market, but with so much talent, skeptics and secular music fans will not hold it against them. It’s the same kind of passion that has made crossover acts like For Today and As I Lay Dying relevant in many hardcore circles. There’s balance here, and that’s what matters most. Production values are high, the sound design is masterful, and you really get a sense for everything the guys in Saving Grace want to throw at the audience.

You certainly hear bands like Madball, Earth Crisis, and even a little Hatebreed with their delivery as it punches the senses with a maddening sound and beautiful melodic hardcore. Nothing is left out here, as Saving Grace pushes everything you can imagine in terms of diverse metallic noise. This is on par to be one of the best underground hardcore records released in 2014. Among new releases this year from Throwdown, Earth Crisis, Architects, and Emmure, this is the one album that may knock everyone out with sheer passion and delivery. It’s that solid of a heavy record.

Pros: Excellent Production value, heavy handed metallic hardcore, balanced

Cons: Not a whole lot, nothing?

Rating: 5/5

Links:

Mp3 download: http://amzn.to/1hz80ik

Compact disc: http://amzn.to/1orFsM1