Verse – Bitter Clarity, Uncommon Grace

Verse called it a day in 2009, played a couple of shows again two years later and are completely back now with their new album. Does it sound like what I was hoping for? Well, it’s still Verse but in a more mature form and it’s because of albums like “Bitter Clarity, Uncommon Grace that I don’t necessarily think reunions are a bad thing.

Opener “The Selfish Of The Earth” is without a doubt the best song this band has ever written… it’s like being swept up in a tsunami and thinking only about how pretty that wave was as you’re slowly drowning. That song is the absolute highlight of Verse’s new album right there and it’s pretty much impossible to follow up.

They did give it a try though and ended up with a solid set of atmospheric hardcore songs that are pretty badass in their own right. Vocalist Sean Murphy still has that intensity that many other singers can only dream about… doesn’t matter if he’s shouting, screaming his lungs out or doing a spoken word kind of thing… he always delivers while the rest of the band is making quite a ruckus . New are the three instrumental “Segue” interludes that only add to the general atmosphere and overall dynamics of the album. It’s kinda like what Paint It Black did on “New Lexicon”.

Anyway, I guess what I’m trying to say is… it’s good to have you back!
Score: 8.5 out of 10
http://www.bridge9.com 
http://www.myspace.com/verse