Versus The Mirror - "Home"(Equal Vision Records, 2006)

In the burgeoning genre of screamo (definition: heavy-metal based emo delivered through screams), I've heard good and bad bands and have come to understand what makes a good album in the genre. The screaming vocals need to be balanced by a competant backing group with at least somewhat melodic hooks. That much we can say Versus the mirror has handled. The band itself has crunchy hook-filled guitar melodies and a heavy percussive edge that gives the music a lot of weight. But the lead singer leaves something to be desired. The monotony of his screams is never broken, which makes listening to the entire album a chore. There's something to be said for balancing the screams with a touch of melodic singing. That said, "Birthed By Architecture," "Smoke It To The Rope," and "Boy Gets What He Wants" have the raw power to succeed in the genre. Whether the band eventually will get noticed outside of the narrow confines of what screamo has to offer will depend on whether the vocals ever develop depth.