For all the “featuring former members of…” tags this band can boast about (D.C. based groups DARKEST HOUR, UNDERMIND, and NEXT STEP UP being amongst them), WAKE UP COLD’s “Deliver Me From Evil” is surprisingly mundane. Run-of-the-mill hardcore that brings to mind a poor man’s HATEBREED, WAKE UP COLD is simply bland. Nothing about the album breaks WAKE UP COLD from the pack, and while I’d like to lower my expectations below DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN or CONVERGE, “Deliver Me From Evil” doesn’t have one aspect that I could call unique or inventive. I suppose the group will have a place in the hearts of many hardcore devotees, especially around the D.C. area, but their sound is generally a dime-a-dozen. It’s not that there are many flaws with the album, but that’s exactly the problem. Every note is in place, every breakdown somewhat predictable. While it might seem promising on first listen, there is no replay value on the disc, just a generic feel. While this might suffice for some hardcore/metalcore fans, I want chaos. I want EVERY TIME I DIE-esque insanity mixed with DILLINGER’s brutality, and this doesn’t even come close. Amidst a genre where artists are practically competing to consistently push things to the next level, it seems that WAKE UP COLD has decided to drop out altogether.

Inner Rage

www.wakeupcold.net