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Is Grace Enough
Cross Your Heart and Hope To Die
2004, East End Industries
After only about a year and a bit in existence and replacing three of the founding members, Ottawa‘s screamiest screamo band have released this five-song EP to the masses; containing four songs and a pretty third track called, aptly, ‘Intermission‘, IGE have found their niche, favouring hectic guitar fretwork over the detuned thudding of others in the genre. In fact, it‘s rare that you hear a really heavy breakdown on Cross Your Heart, because the band decided they‘d rather pursue melodies, and they do it exceptionally well; witness the great central riff on ‘This Distant Sunset‘, smooth and soaring while retaining a solid metal tone. Vocalist Jon O‘Callaghan has two settings, screaming and howling, while the two guitarists add nice clean vocals when they‘re not busy fretting intricate counterpoint melodies like there‘s no tomorrow.
The production is high-end, thanks to Addictive Sound Studios (also Ottawa-based), and the band that used to hold Alexisonfire in the highest esteem has really learned how to write a killer song: create a repeatedly-listenable melody, add great percussion with tastefully-used double bass(nothing kills a song like excessive pounding) and bass guitar that has its rightful place in the low end, and while the lyrics on Cross Your Heart are nothing Pulitzer-winning, typical emo/screamo fare, Is Grace Enough has certainly staked their claim to a chance at the big breakout. With varied touring throughout eastern and southern Ontario, including a trek with Eulogy Records‘ Albert React and Calico System scheduled for later this year, IGE are poised to make the leap.