Album Review: MSWhite - Squares

Italian five-piece MSWhite have been off the scene for a few years, but with the release of 'Squares', their debut full-length album, they are back with a vengeance. With a sound that could be mistaken for Underoath or Asking Alexandria minus the synth, they are not the most original band, but they sure as hell aren’t one you’ll forget. Now signed to Rise Records, MSWhite have a very bright future ahead of them.

The band has momentum unrivalled by most metalcore bands, and despite 'Maktub' being an introductory track, the way in which it slams into 'A Snake Biting It's Tail' shows that once they get going, not even a twenty-tonne freight train could stop this lot. The crisp guitars and unrelenting screams sets the tone for this album brilliantly, and when the vocals kick in it demonstrates just how well a blend of ferocious screams and clean vocals can work. This continues in 'I Breathe The Sun', where the two singers voices complement each other perfectly, without detracting any pace and visceral qualities from the track.

'Walnut (I Want To Come Back)' Is another heavy track, and another catchy one at that. It teeters on the edge of becoming a very cliché hardcore track, but the lack of generic breakdowns redeems it. The vocals are beginning to sound more and more like We Are The Ocean, and are borderline whiny in parts, but the sing-along chorus and original guitar riffs are enough to overlook any faults. 'Reflect The Answer' features the same pounding and brutal drumming consistent with the rest the album, but also brings into play a vocoder, which is present in a few of the tracks on 'Squares' and is at risk of ruining the usually perfect harmonies between the vocals.

One of the best things about this band is that they don’t have all the breakdowns that most bands in this genre do. Unfortunately, 'Saturday's Village' does. It’s not one of the stronger tracks on the album, and has a weak ending, which can’t be excused by the next, and final track having an ambient, atmospheric sound to it. '22 Dots And 22 Stripes' is a different sound from the rest of the album. It’s not as good as some of the previous songs, and it isn’t the kind of closing track you’d expect after such an ear-wrenching journey.

Overall, considering this is their first full-length album, MSWhite have produced a very good record. They’ve managed to avoid the pitfalls of synths and overused group vocals that are common in metalcore, and it will only bode well for them. Despite not being the most unique band, the blistering guitars and thrashing drums will have you hoping they tour the UK soon.

4/5

'Squares' by MSWhite is available now on Rise Records/Velocity Records.

MSWhite on MySpace and Twitter.

Blaise Ruston