More Than Life - What's Left Of Me

Released	14th April 2014
Recorded Record Label	2013 Holy Roar
Genre	Post Hardcore/ Emo/ Melodic
Length	33:00
Origin	South West
Rating	9 / 10

More Than Life are that band that you really cannot hate. Bringing some of the freshest sound whilst showing off the UK's melodic talent, MTL are definitely up there on bands to watch out for. With a great success from their previous record Love Let Me Go in 2010, the 4 year gap has done many wonders for the band in producing such a solid unityof sound to follow What's Left Of Me.

Opening the emotional journey with Asleep, which consist of an intricate interlude that is repeated behind the strain of a screaming guitar, it sets things right into the MTL style of Weight Of The World which has as brilliant gradual drum beat that works its way to your ears, so that it's joined by a catchy guitar riff before joined by vocalist James. Taking passionate screams along with this soft chaining vocals works in harmony with the edgy howls that explode passion and hatred as well as an emotional connection with the raw feelings that went into this song. Instrumentally wise, it was pretty strong as it matched the exact atmosphere of the song, creating high tension peaks at all the right parts.
The chorus being my favourite part of the song as "FUCK THOSE WASTED TIMES" geta you so involved into the song that you just let yourself flow with it. The bridge then adds to the build up of all the emotions going on as it catches them slowly letting them go into bitter speeches ending the song with a heighten advantage.

What's left Of Me again picked up on this, trailing a fast beat that catches you instantly, filled with such complex structures, the song slows down so you can catch your breath before returning to its heighten speed, keeping you alive and bouncing along throughout.
Finally breaking out through one of their famously aggressive bridges, creates the perfect balance of rage which transfuses into a much more steady outbreak of screams that are filled with even more passion and history.

A heavy lyrical theme which has been present in their previous songs however What's Left Of Me carries this out in a much stronger and impacting way that it's implanted in your brain with a first listen. Sung with such passion and tone as you can actually feel James's voice break in every song is a perfect example of how talented and dedicated the band is. You don't get such detail in a vocicalist however James prove to be unique and numbing indeed. Whenever I listen to More Than Life, there's just something about them that sets them apart form any other band, it's the raw sound that hits your ears as it comes from the heart, the overall music that they make really does show this.

Picking you back off your feet with Seasons Change provides the lime light the drums as it focuses on themfor a while keeping the song together before James vocals tear you apart. What really breaks me is the next song releaed a while before the album as a single.

Do You Remember is the one song off the whole album which hits me hard.
Right from the intro you know the song is going to be a strong one, as soon as the vocals set in you can already feel the sadden rush taking over as the harmonies of the two vocalist sync with each other giving of a holding on broken feel. It's the broken screams that James shouts "STAY AWAY FROM ME" that really hits deep. Actually feeling broken inside whilst this song plays, the lyrics are so easily relatable as they're about your teenage love and it being broken a few times. The constant battle screams get louder and stronger as you feel them slap your face hard, along side the soft whispers that juxtapose with the narrative. Ending the song brings everything to a close with one final outbreak that gives you one final scream of leverage of relief.

Who would have thought that "I love you more than life" would actually be a lyric but in Sometimes it actually appears towards the end of the song, heightening all trapped emotions to escape, perfectly used and in line with the song this lyric works strongly as it's also a favourite touches they've added.

Ending the album off with Love Is Not Enough adds a new acoustic guitar melody that softly settles into more sadden violin strums that add to the albums authenticity.
In my opinion they couldn't have ended it better, being a suprise from them as we would expect James worn out screams, it was a nice peaceful touch MTL added, proving the 9/10 rating I have given them.