CD review, May 09. Seneca – Reflections (Lifeforce Records)

Well oh dear, this is nothing but expertly delivered and very boring, metalcore. Cut straight from the cloth of the likes of Killswitch Engage and using just about every metalcore trick in the book, I guess it’s youthful exuberance and maybe just not knowing any better that creates an album like this. It’s a damn shame Reflections is so derivative because the band really can play, or at least the production makes it appear that way. When the typical ‘you left me alone’ emo-chorus kicks in during track two, followed by the growling backup, then the breakdown… it’s hard to bother going on. As it is I’ve listened to this many times and so I know there are some inventive and heavy as fuck moments, but it’s just generally so clichéd I can’t help but dislike it. The token ballad Illusions further dates the music and I was amazed to find the outro instrumental wasn’t called ’Lick My Love Pump’. One for the teenagers.