Massachusetts natives All That Remains have steadily remained in both heavy metal and mainstream music circles for over the past decade. They have had success on the Billboard chart with their past few albums they made with Killswitch Engage’s Adam D as producer. However, they decided to hire Josh Wilbur who has made albums with Lamb of God and Gojira in pursuit of a fresher sound on The Order of Things (Razor and Tie).

Album opener ‘This Probably Won’t End Well’ captures what the band’s staple sound is: a meeting between softer, more accessible metal and Massachusetts bred hardcore. It is in its own way iconic. There is something ballsy about starting off a new record with a song title like that. Unfortunately the depressing prediction comes true. The following song ‘No Knock’ is less iconic. One cannot help but feel that it could be any Massachusetts hardcore band that came up with it.

‘Divide’ shows more promise of the band heading towards the direction they set out in. It is very catchy and perfect for shows. The chorus sounds like it was written to be sung along to and it achieves that goal. Why it has not been released as a radio single, where it would do well, is a mystery.

‘For You’ is the heartfelt relationship song that one has come to expect from the band’s albums. This is not a bad thing, but it is not groundbreaking for them either. Anything new about the album dies off around ‘A Reason For Me to Fight’. All of a sudden it sounds like the band slipped back into their old territory. The closing song title ‘Criticism and Self Realization’ sounds more promising than the actual tune. Changing producers did have a small effect on the album but perhaps not what the band had hoped for.

5.5/10

 

MELISSA CAMPBELL