“Rise” started off just as many EPs do : with a calm short instrumental piece with a smooth flow that has a nice transition into the second track that then bursts immediately with a lot more energy. This album had many calming moments among hardcore songs that were filled with screaming and super heavy instruments, and it sounded so good. It isn’t very often that a band can merge the two sensations of calming and hardcore energetic fits that when a band does merge them, and pull it off, some people reach a sensational point sometime during the album I like to call “musical enlightenment”. This occurs when all the elements of the songs from the vocals to the guitars to the sound itself all come together in a person’s mind and it strikes a chord that focuses itself into a singularity in the chest where the entire body, mind, and soul are in tune with the music and you are completely immersed to the point where you can’t move but only marvel and bask in the awesomeness. This EP allowed me to experience it for the first time since I heard Times of Grace’s “Hymn of a Broken Man” years ago. I cannot explain how great “Rise” is. But among the 6 amazing tracks, I had to pick a favorite and the album’s namesake has to take the cake for me. However, the guitars throughout were perfect, the vocals had amazing pitch, tone, and tempo, and the drums had a fabulous beat and rhythm that sounded amazing. I implore anyone who wants to hear good metal that has the ability to be hardcore but yet be able to stop on a dime and be calm and smooth to buy this album. It’s so amazing I’ve already bought it three times! One for my iPod, one to download on my computer, and the other for the CD. Absolutely worth it!
BUY “Rise” on iTunes : https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/upon-the-water/id888963978
LISTEN to “Rise” : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJOnoWQ1Uno
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