French unit Resolve are looking to take the next big step with, Between Me and the Machine, their debut record. After experimenting and tinkering with their sound on previous EPs Reverie and Pendulum the latter of which they began to find home in their sound. With a run time of a near 50 minutes and eleven tracks, it is time for the trio to take that sound to full fruition.
A flurry of sound enters with opener “Beautiful Hell“, the clean hook on the synths contrasting with the distorted mix on the rest of the track. The cleans and harsh vocals of Anthony Diliberto weaving themselves in and out the fluid instrumentals. On the first half of Between Me and the Machine there are several influences at play. On tracks such as “Seasick Sailor“, Resolve lean into a pop-punk sound intertwined with their siege-like metalcore riffs. Near-midpoint track “Fifteen Roses” offers up a more melodic sound backed with key work. This change in sound and influence elevates the album as the metalcore work here at times feels slightly dated.
This variation continues and heavier cuts are served up on tracks as “Surrender” before Between Me and the Machine enters its closing stages. The title track and penultimate track has a run time of 8:49 and the bold choice to include longer tracks on these sort of albums requires some bold work to pay off. The first half sonically meets the ears as previous tracks have done; beats and riffs laced sprinkled with either synth or string work. A guitar solo before entering a grandiose finale of rhythmic drums and soaring vocals. It would be harsh to criticise “Between Me and the Machine” sonically, the issue here is that it’s simply too long and makes the album overstay its welcome. It also causes a clash with “Forever Yours” as both lean into the spectacular style tropes of a closer and it perhaps should have been a case of one or the other.
While the production and mix here is a step up from the softer sound on their previous EP Pendulum, it has perhaps gone slightly too far in the opposite direction. Instrumentally at times, especially on the heavier songs, it sounds grating and the vocals being slightly too low in the mix make for a tiring listen on the ear. A shorter run time by around 10-15 minutes may have elevated this but sapped any energy I had to immediately return to Between Me and the Machine.
Despite some flaws in structure and production choices on Between Me and the Machine, there is still plenty to enjoy about moments on the album. Well used influences of genres such as emo and melodic-hardcore add variation and the way piano and synths are intertwined elevate Between Me and the Machine above your run-of-the-mill metalcore sound. If Resolve can refine their sound further and amend the issues at hand they will be one to keep an eye on.
Between Me and the Machine is out on November 26th via Arising Empire, and can be streamed and pre-ordered here.
6.5/10