BEAR "III"

 At first, Bear feels like any Rise Records act ala Sleeping With Sirens, Woe, Is Me, or The Color Morale. But after listening to the first five tracks of their record it's actually incredibly challenging to pin point what exactly is going on here. At first glance it's Monsters meets Scarlet. Then the band transforms on "Masks," and their borderline Texture-like execution on "Knives Are Easy" is almost jaw droppingly worthy. With lingering vocals, reminiscent of old Factory 81, and various djent and progressive tricks tossed in throughout, III makes for a truly captivating listen. There are tasteful Nu-Metal elements thrown in literally everywhere, with "The Oath" closing in the most effective presentation of a strong melodic performance. The variety of voices that range on the album from Faith No More melodrama to aggro bellows also show a wide palette pulled off really well. The album is constantly shifting and turning and executes at an incredibly high level, and is one of the strongest metalcore records to float into the scene in years. Only SiKth brought something this challenging to interpret and it's been a while since they shifted the landscape. Let's hope Bear gets the attention they deserve for all they accomplished.