Obey The Brave - Salvation

Obey The Brave step up their game with album number two creating a much more direct and aggressive sound.



Released on Sept. 16 2014, Salvation shows a growth in Obey The Brave's sound. Their debut album, Young Blood, had it's heavier moments, but there were many songs that seemed a little flimsy when compared with singer Alex Erian's former band Despised Icon. On Salvation, Obey The Brave find their sound by going for a much more beatdown oriented sound. The album clocks in at 41 minutes with 12 tracks. Opening with "Short Fuse", Salvation starts out hitting hard with a Hatebreed meets modern metalcore sound.

Lyrically, Obey The Brave show that they can consistently write quality songs. With a running theme of perseverance, Erian finds a great balance between the overly upbeat lyrics of Young Blood and the pessimism that was found in Despised Icon. A prime example of the quality found on Salvation, Erian sings, "Gonna make you sweat til you bleed, I wash my hands with the blood of my enemies. I'm seeing red, got a few loose screws, trapped inside my head, short fuse". But while there are great lyrics on this album, the theme does start to run a bit dry by the end of the album. Had they mixed up the lyrical content a little the album could have had more diversity and been a little more interesting than it was. 

The instruments on the album were stripped down and simple yet catchier then ever. The mosh inducing guitar found on songs such as "Full Circle" or "Raise Your Voice" keep the listener captivated throughout the album. The drums find themselves keeping this slamming groove moving along throughout the whole album packing an extra punch to the overall sound. Bassist Miguel Lepage, formerly of Blind Witness,  finds his place well with a very defining moment in what made this album on "C'est La Vie" with an opening bass line that makes you want to smash things. The only downside to the album's instruments is the same issue found with the lyrics. Too much of the same makes some songs blend in with others and it becomes a little difficult to tell the difference between certain songs. 

The artwork for the album is very fitting for the theme that Obey The Brave went for this time around. With a grim reaper and a wolf it becomes difficult to not look cheesy yet the artist who did this album cover makes it look aggressive, just like the album itself.

7.5/10