“Let me say goodbye one last time.”
We’ve waited impatiently as The Requiem have slowly built their discography up by releasing singles sparsely, eventually rebranding from their original name, L’exquisite Douleur. They’ve been teasing the kind of emo, post-hardcore that throws you straight back to Hot Topic in the early 2000s. It’s the sound that many of us have been aching to hear revisited, and as a full record, A Cure To Poison The World delivers exactly that; an emotionally driven triumph of a project for those who still pray for Warped Tour to make a comeback.
Currently working as a three-piece, Damien, Felipe, and Salem conjure the very essence that is the notorious My Chemical Romance. They utilize this familiar style in a way that is entirely their own by fully leaning into the theatrics of revivalcore while managing to steer clear of coming off as cheesy. Their lack of hesitance to display their appreciation for this scene is what gives this debut record its charm, and every cut feels like a genuine venture into a genre that some may say has been fully fleshed out. Fortunately, some of us can’t get enough.
Opening with “This Is How The World Ends”, a track titled to match its endearing angst, listeners are confronted with the cohesive sound of this record from the get-go. For better or for worse, there is a sense of predictability on this album, even with pace breakers like “L’exquisite Douleur” or “Two Lovers Left Alive”. For a debut in particular, this isn’t the most bothersome ‘issue’ to have. However, on future endeavors, weaving in influences from outlying genres or trying to modernize this style could benefit the longevity of how refreshing their work can be.
The single “An Elegy Written On Porcelain Arms” displays just how talented these guys are at writing a ridiculously catchy chorus. Even considering their full embrace of presenting clattered in black while writing lines like “I’ll carve your name into my chest in tortured cursive”, they could write an earworm of a pop hook. In fact, this record doesn’t seem to mind tip-toeing through emo-pop territory, so I wouldn’t mind seeing the band branch further into pop.
The back half of the record proves to be the superior side for me, kicking off with “Cursed”; a true emo ballad. Felipe opens this with one of my favorite riffs on the entire album, and to strengthen such an incredible start, this is the track where I find that Damien’s vocals really shine. They’re simultaneously intimate and passionate, certainly jubilant over such moody instrumentation. The joining of this song’s melodic structure as well as its overly saccharine lyrics surely makes this the tear jerking crowd screamer at all future Requiem shows. For that reason, it’s one of my favorite cuts on the record.
With each listen of this LP, we ride this high until my favorite single, “Diary Of A Masochist”. This song launches in such a feral way, displaying the brash side of Damien’s vocal variety that he keeps relatively hidden for most of this record. On one hand, I do wish, and honestly expected, that there would be at least one track even ‘heavier’ than this, but considering the album that this panned out to be, it’s merely a personal nitpick. Alex Abassi, a good friend of the group who is credited for a few other songs on this project, absolutely murdered it on the drums for this song in particular, existing as some of the most outstanding work gone into A Cure To Poison The World.
Just before closing out the record, the trio throw in “The Difference Between You & Me Is That I Get The Last Laugh”, titled lengthily and with a tinge of humor in classic emo fashion. This is what I’d consider to be the ‘party song’ of this work, being both the most danceable and quotable cut. Naturally, this is my favorite on the album. The Requiem reaches an almost “Misery Business” level of tongue-in-cheekiness with this track’s lyrics and vocal delivery, making for the perfect spirit lifter just before this project’s devastating closer.
“Before I Go…”, reading as someone’s farewell to the memory of a dead loved one just before their own death, serves as an appropriately dramatic way to close out this story. There are multiple sections where Felipe’s guitarwork is boasted, elevating the histrionic tone to this song, and painting this record just like a Shakespearean tragedy. We even circle back to the beginning with a monotone spoken word that name drops the very first track; “..the memory is a flickering light in the dark of the descent. This is how the world ends.” This satisfies the unwavering cohesion and melodramatic universe that this album immerses its listener into, making for a worthy culmination to A Cure To Poison The World.
Even if this LP tends to confine itself to a distinct sound, A Cure To Poison The World does not try to be anything that it’s not. In a way, this actually helps in defining The Requiem’s chosen scene and assists in ensuring that every approaching track is as impressive as its predecessor, regardless of how ‘safe’ that may be. The audacity that this group has to thoroughly submerge themselves into the sound of the 2000s without coming up for air is a commendable feat on its own, and to do that so authentically deserves its own recognition. A Cure To Poison The World is a vanquishing effort at reviving a style that has unfortunately burrowed its way out of the mainstream once again; an extravagant tragedy told from the perspective of the fried and flat-ironed fringed persona in all of our little black hearts.
7/10
A Cure To Poison The World is out this Friday via Fearless Records, and can be pre-ordered here.