If curiousity supposedly killed the cat, does that mean that high expectations will kill BOYSETSFIRE? Hopefully not. “Tomorrow Come Today” is the long, long, really long, awaited follow-up to the hardcore epic, “After The Eulogy,” a genre-defining opus that sounds as fresh today as it did three years ago. Now, with their first full-length for Wind-Up Records, it’s clear that while BOYSETSFIRE still has one foot firmly planted in hardcore, they also now have the other foot cemented in dark, melodic rock, stroked by the excellent evolution of Nathan Gray’s soaring vocals. “Tommorow Come Today” can be viewed in two different ways, either as a homage to this band’s past, with a clear shot of planning for the future, or the dullard view that “these guys went mainstream and don’t sound as angry anymore.” Both views have a degree of truth, but the enlightened listener should arguably side with the former, rather than hastily support the latter. Of the twelve songs on here, only a handful find the same degree of rage that “After The Eulogy” oozed of, and the super-slick and juicy production tempers the flames of audio discontent. But still, BOYSETSFIRE at times prove that they did not forget how to pump out the kind of energy that makes you want to rip the paint off the walls. The stomping breakdown at the end of the album opener, “Eviction Article” is absolutely brillant, especially when Gray screams, “the blood is on your hands, life stealing motherfuckers, the Constitution burns to ash in front of you…” Both “Dying in Principle,” and “Release the Dogs” follow with vicious fortitudes, but “Tomorrow Come Today” feels more comfortable when the band is trying on their new, less intense, but no less powerful brand of heavy rock. “Bathory’s Sainthood” is undeniably catchy, but also sounds a lot of like TOOL, and “Last Year’s Nest” bristles with a guitar-chug that most nu-metal bands would slay for. Every listen of “Tomorrow Come Today” brings a recognition of some new fine point previously overlooked. This disc is remarkably cohesive – especially considering the lyrical, and hence emotional transitions that Gray goes through when revisiting his aggressive political stances and social confrontations. The phrase “Protest is Patriotism” is splattered about the digipack artwork over and over again, tying the written fury together with the musical bombardment. BOYSETSFIRE will undoubtably burn some bridges with prior fans who will not be able to accept “Tomorrow’s…” broader scope (or feel comfortable with their activist lyrics in these ‘hesitant’ times), but regardless, this is a fairly exceptional album that’s worth every bit of money you pay for it. For those who pick up this up with the limited DVD – the eleven song live set from Philadelphia is great, though it surprisingly lacks a few crowd favorites, especially the always jaw-dropping live “After The Eulogy.” Still, it’s an excellent compliment to an already exciting offering.

Wind-Up

www.boysetsfire.com