When Everything Falls

Haste the Day has been described as a Christian metalcore band, but truth be told, what transpires on their second album, When Everything Falls, is closer to Christian screamo than Christian metalcore. While pure metalcore is known for being ferocious and unforgiving, When Everything Falls offers more breathing room. Haste the Day thrives on the extreme vocals/clean vocals contrast that screamo is famous for, and this 2005 release has its share of melodic moments as well as harsh, head-kicking brutality. The album even contains a cover of the Goo Goo Dolls' "Long Way Down" -- are these not the sort of things one would expect from a band that is more From Autumn to Ashes than Brick Bath, more Hopesfall than Hatebreed? That said, this 2005 release is a cut above many of the mid-'00s screamo discs. Haste the Day's songs are hookier, and lead singer Jimmy Ryan is not one of screamo's cookie-cutter vocalists; rather, his extreme vocal style is best described as an inspired mixture of metalcore/hardcore-style screaming, and a black metal rasp. But in terms of subject matter, When Everything Falls is a long way from black metal (which is full of references to Satanism and the Occult). This album has a Christian-oriented message, although the lyrics are introspective rather than preachy; Haste the Day are sharing their experiences and offering a Christian analysis, but they aren't beating listeners over the head with their beliefs. Screamo -- be it Christian or secular -- had more than its share of mediocrity in the early- to mid-'00s, but When Everything Falls is among the more memorable screamo efforts of 2005.