Scarlet – This Was Always Meant To Fall Apart
www.scarletrock.com www.ferretstyle.com

Ok, while Scarlet was metal and very evil on their debut release on Tribunal (Breaking The Dead Stare), they later unleashed some of the heaviest and most depressing releases upon reforming and inking a deal with Ferret (Something to Lust About, and Cult Classic, respectively), they have gotten more…..ummmm…well, mellow, at least by their standards. “This Was…” is more of a roller coaster in its ups and downs rather than a full on sonic assault resulting in more self-loathing. There are elements of nine inch nails, especially on the opening track “obsolete”, and the same dark lyrical approach is there, the chaotic riffing remains, and the double bass is still there. The biggest stand out song for me is “Glass Framed Wire Veins”, where the cleanly sung vocals soar and give the song life. While Scarlet may not be as depressing and may not be as brutal as before, they have taken their dark metallic hardcore to new heights, and the minimalist art for the record and lay out just reinforce this overall effect of this release. 8.5/10