Album Review: Victory In Numbers - Killing. Mourning. Love.

Philadelphia's Victory In Numbers kick off their latest effort with 'Midnight In London'; decorated with springy synth keys and crunching guitars before settling into a calm Mathcbook Romance-like verse then going back and forth. For an opener it doesn't have enough immediacy or urgency, its passable.

Whereas 'The King Is Dead' and 'Dare You To Dance' sees comparisons to Senses Fail and Hawthorne Heights subtly coming to mind. Nevertheless the two-man vocal work is decent enough. 'Falling To Pieces' is your standard rock-heavy pop-rock song but it strikes a chord; a bright chorus with a good tempo that is impressionable. Whilst 'The Last Time' works in a similar fashion, with a summery acoustic guitar and handclaps showing a more poppy side of the band.

Victory In Numbers manage to provide some tolerable moments in 'Chemical' and 'Romeo' as they are straight up alt-rock songs that are not memorable nor are they forgettable. However the ballad-like 'Code Red' slows the bands momentum, although its standard structure is predictable; it builds up to the usual full band/guitar solo section, yet it is passable.

Whilst 'Killing. Mourning. Love.' is a satisfactory album you find yourself feeling you've heard it all before. Whilst it could be considered Victory In Numbers are intimidating several bands; Taking Back Sunday ('Do It Again'), Metro Station ('The Getaway') and any poppy pop-rock band from the last 2/3 years for example Sing It Loud, Mayday Parade and The Friday Night Boys ('The Last Time'). Victory In Numbers manage to provide tracks that are the same standard as these, and at times exceed it.

For a debut record, 'Killing. Mourning. Love.' turns out to be a good album but from a band struggling to define their identity.

3/5

'Killing. Mourning. Love.' by Victory In Numbers is released on Bullet Tooth on September 21st.

Victory In Numbers on MySpace, Purevolume, Twitter and Facebook.

Sean Reid