Not many bands today in the extreme music business manage to keep their energy and make albums that not repeat each other but have something new, still explosive, to present. Add a female vocalist and you’ve got Walls Of Jericho. “The American Dream” is nothing less than a loaded shotgun ready to burst as the album prepares its own war to the politics of lies and deceit. Thrash metal attacks, hardcore attitude and the always pissed off voice of the unique Candance Kucsulain give the American dream the middle finger for good this time, while the lyrics and the music are angrier and heavier than ever. It also presents the continuing growth of the band’s thrash/hardcore mix along with other elements which can be found on their previous EP release “Redemption”, which was an acoustic effort of the band produced with the help of Corey Taylor of Slipknot. The album is probably the band’s best to date and shares several elements with their previous effort “With Devils Amongst Us All” which was also a killer album.

My first encounter with Walls Of Jericho was with their stripped back Redemption EP earlier in the year. Having been won over by their beautiful melodic prose, I was left wondering as to whether I'd like the full-on, plugged in version of the band. Well I didn't have to wait long to find out. Despite any reservations I may have had before playing this cd, I have to admit that I really do like Walls Of Jericho in full flight. This is an almighty collision between Hardcore and Thrash Metal, with a female singer that could give 90% of her male counterparts a run for their money. This lady can growl with the best of them, and boy can she deliver her lyrics with a lethal dose of venom. At times, mainly because of the hate filled vocals, I'm reminded of a female fronted version of Pantera, particularly on A Long Walk Home, while at other times, I'm simply blown away by the all out war of Famous Last Words and the utter contempt displayed on Fuck The American Dream. On a day that Lehman Brothers have gone into administration, "Fuck The American Dream" never sounded so relevant. I've never been one for standing up for my country and all of that patriotic bullshit. But then again, we have Gordon Brown, a country full of work-shy spongers who feed off of our government's stupidity and thousands of illiterate chavs who seem to breed at the drop of a baseball cap, so there's not a lot a lot to be proud of in this shithole of a country.

Warning sand in the vagina alert. Actually that really is a horrible phrase and what I am trying to none too succinctly state is that you can forget the soft angelic tones of stopgap EP Redemption, Candace is back to singing like a banshee and you best hold on to your baggy shorts, hike em up over your crack and hang on for dear life. The anger (drop that motherfucking anger) is aimed well and truly at the good old American Dream and all that’s rotten in it. I have to admit that quite often when reviewing this sort of thing it is a case of going through the motions. Let’s face it; if there is one form of subgenre that seems stagnated this is it. Metalcore or however you want to tag it never really progresses, once you have heard one vitriolic shout down you have heard them all. However as far as this album is concerned, covering it has been a pleasure. It is not because of the fact that there is a woman singing, hell you could put anyone from polite company in a room and they probably would not even realise this was not actually a tattooed thuggish geezer; I think it has more to do with the fact that this seems to contain actual songs, riffs, feeling and passion. One could even go as far as to say that the album is chunky, punky and funky. A slow brooding start heralds ‘The New Ministry’ and things suddenly bounce in, the backing guitars here are really austere and create atmosphere as drums vocals and bass chug into action intent on tearing your head off. With the words “We bleed tonight,” hollered we are launched into II The Prey and you can imagine these tracks opening a gig and this being the point that the pit fires up and bodies tumble in a heap. Obviously the title track The American Dream could only be proceeded by the words (Fuck The) yep you get the idea now all on the count of 3 sing along, easy isn’t it? But the anger, cascading guitars and sheer energy behind this win it over rather than making this another satchel scrawling phrase the kids in school are going to get put in detention for. There is so much feeling from the two guitarists here, the riffwork on ‘The Feeding Frenzy’ is tempestuous and icy, sending a shiver down the spine and getting right beneath the skin. This makes it the stand-out track on a formidable album as far as I am concerned and I expect to see it popping up on some magazine cover-mounts. There is plenty of variation between the 12 tracks here and belting along in 36 minutes this does not outstay its welcome (in fact I’m on third play of the day). ‘A Long Walk Home’ even has a mid section with Morricone sounding acoustics and a nice crooned part separating the bombastic swagger of the rest of the track. Just in case you had forgotten that WOJ can do a ballad they finish the album off with one, in the form of the misleadingly entitled ‘The Slaughter Begins’. Candace has put her posh frock on again and is singing like a lady not a ladette. All in all The American Dream is like a breath of fresh air and an album that sits comfortably alongside Hatebreed’s ‘Rise Of Brutality’ and Terror’s ‘One With The Underdogs’

The American Dream is the fourth album from Detroit’s Walls of Jericho. A metalcore band with the relative rarity of having a female singer who can really hit harsh, hardcore style vocals as well as any bloke. The overall feel of the album is very aggressive and in your face, there is a whole lot of attitude thrown into the lyrics and hardcore elements of each track. Probably the closest band that they could be compared to would be Hatebreed in terms of style and song structure, cue the gang vocals! The overall sound of the album is very clear and precise, you can hear every element with crystal clarity and this is achieved without sounding too clinical or over produced. There is not a lot of variation from the general metalcore direction with the exception of the final track The Slaughter Begins where Candace Kucsulain sings (not growls) accompanied by a piano and acoustic guitar, surprisingly this is by far the best track on the album and adds a very different dimension to proceedings. On the whole, this release is fast, heavy and made up of all the things that fans of metalcore will lap up.

What is the American dream in today’s world? In the 1950s it encompassed affluence, stability and white picket fences. Now the lines are blurry. Walls of Jericho, hailing from Detroit, are the anti-Christ to America’s dream. The band challenges the maintenance of a homogenous society with clearly cut ideals of middle class values. 'American Dream’, the band’s fourth album, is a concoction of highly charged angry songs full of forceful vocals and power chord heavy guitars. Produced by Ben Schigel - who is foremost known for collaborating with bands like Chimaira, Drowning Pool and Breaking Point - the hardcore album is a crisp and clean collection of songs ultimately raising its middle finger to the rest of the world. The album opens with ‘The New Ministry’, a musical slap in the face, with fast guitars, drummer Dustin Schoenhofer’s insane percussion and vocalist Candace Kucsulan’s cool voice. The track immediately melds into ‘II The Prey’, which produces much of the same musically. The band clearly takes it stance against Western world politics with ‘American Dream’ a clamoring protest, strongly stating: "Fuck this place / This is not my home" and repeatedly states "Fuck the American dream". Despite the anger found in Walls of Jericho’s lyrics, musically the album is filled with well crafted rifts and chord progressions that aren’t as fiercely livid as the lyrical side to the outfit. Guitarists Chris Rawson and Mike Hasty, along with bassist Aaron Ruby collaborate together to put together an album that is heavier than the band's previously released ‘With Devils Amongst Us All’, released on Trustkill Records. However, a lot of ‘American Dream’ sounds homogenous and much of the same. There is little to no variance between the songs, making the album feel like one angry mess of music coming through the speakers. Although the band admits to finding difficulties in changing its style of music and the way it writes songs, ‘American Dream’ is a screaming rant 12 tracks long and becomes tiresome after a while. But Walls Of Jericho should not give up their hardcore sound or their punk rhythms. They should not forfeit their beliefs on American politics and should continue to scream against white picket fences, because in the words of the band: "Tear us down / Free us all".

After an EP of meandering rock songs produced by Slipknot front man and Rock Sound columnist Corey Taylor, there were murmurs that Walls Of Jericho had lost their fire and after tour support with 36 Crazyfists and DevilDriver was pulled by Trustkill there were rumors that the band's relationship had with the label had collapsed. However: despite this talk, the band have returned with a new album that could be their most aggressive to date 'I. The Hunter' sees the band push their metallic tendencies further before folding back into classic hardcore crunch, 'A Long Walk Home' twists and turns smartly through varying levels of intensity and 'The New Ministry' is pure thunder, but no one song encapsulates the mood of the band better than the title track 'Fuck the American Dream', screams vocalist Candace Kucsulain on a song that expresses disdain, vitriol and rage, with an alarming clarity. For a band to be this aggressive and this caustic after so many wears is a testament to the intensity and passion of the group. Another great record from a truly great band.

The fourth release from Detroit five-piece Walls Of Jericho continues in the same vein as their previous efforts- as in the case with most bands of this genre- so if you liked them before, then you'll like them still. The band are of course fronted by the flame haired Candace Kucsulain, which do make them stand out from the crowd a bit more than others, and her voice seems to be getting stronger on each new record, this performance being her most powerful to date. "The American Dream" is eleven tracks of punk fuelled hardcore metal, and one soppy number at the end of that probably won't sit too comfortably with most of their fans. Musically they have always been incredibly tight and that hasn't changed this time around. They are also, for a hardcore band, fairly original in their riffs and song structures, and standouts here include "Feeding Frenzy", "Famous Last Words" and "Standing On Paper Slits". Its hard to get too excited about this album, mainly because you know exactly what you're going to get with Walls Of Jericho, they know what they like and they're good at playing it. Walls Of Jericho are definitely one of the better hardcore bands out there; they seem to have a bit more punch than most and, crucially, better songs but this record isn't exactly going to set the world alight, though it does a job and the obvious metal influences in there could help broaden the bands appeal to beyond the hardcore spectrum.

GOOD news. Known for their unfortunate knack of losing sticksmen over the years, Walls Of Jericho have managed to hang on to the satisfyingly heavy handed Dustin Schoenhofer for a second album. They've also truly tapped into all aspects of Candace Kucsulain's awesome vocal talent and become more adventurous with their sound as a whole - possibly thanks to Corey Taylor's influence during the production of their acoustic EP, Redemption. Opening with a deceptively calming intro, The American Dream, this is an album that moves the band further towards the 'metal' in 'metalcore', with edgy vocals, vicious guitar, drum onslaughts, and killer songwriting to knot it all together. A Long Walk Home and Discovery Of Jones dabble in the melodic, while and III. Shock Of The Century rocks a heavier assault on the eardrums, with militant drum work, sliding guitars, and rants and roars from the lady. Meanwhile, the progressive Night Of A Thousand Torches displays the rumbling bass-lines and breakdowns the diehard so love, but injecting futuristic touches that neatly enhance the journey. Even A Long Walk Home, one of the few repetitive tracks here, is lifted by a gloriously indulgent drum slot and tuneful vocal breather. After a satisfying ear-battering, we're rewarded with The Slaughter Begins, a closer that shows Candace back in vulnerable, acoustic mode. Unexpected and effective, it's a final display of self-confidence from a band with an edge that devilishly sharpens as the years progress.

One of the handful of so called metal-core bands able to escape with their dignity intact and their ability to keep creating stellar music, the mashers from Michigan known as Walls of Jericho have returned and unleashed another unstoppable flurry of good old American frustration. "Fuck the American Dream" will be the new war cry of a pissed off and restless generation. You're not going to hear a bunch of sappy love songs set to burly metal music on this one. This is pure fury and hatred unbound, and if you're not careful, it just might kick your ass. Much thrashier than previous releases, "The American Dream" is a perfect mix of bone shattering hardcore and death metal, with an unmistakable punk attitude. Slowing down not even the littlest bit, every moment from beginning to end was meant to keep your heart rate up and possess you with an uncontrollable desire to move, maybe breaking some shit along the way. If you like things angry, look no further than the new one from Detroit's finest.

Some genres in music just seem to naturally lend themselves to those of the XY chromosomes and few of these styles are more testosterone dominated than metal and hardcore with their "tuff guy" identities and lyrical messages within the music. One might even draw a parallel between them and say, football or rugby, where girls, simply put, don't play, or at least are not taken seriously. However, with the advent of respectable female fronted groups like Arch Enemy, Lacuna Coil, and, Nightwish, that seems to slowly be changing. But generally there also seems to be a certain expectation that these women will strictly sing and stay out of man's hallowed vitriolic territory. Angela Gassow clearly changed this mentality with her appearance of a drop-dead gorgeous blonde as well as her ability to make noises that would scare full grown men. In her wake many groups have formed balancing the two extremes, albeit with a more mainstream slant, however there really haven't been many of these bands since Arch Enemy to create such an uncompromising "middle finger to the mainstream" sound; Walls of Jericho is one of these unusual groups. Enter Candace Kucsulain, a cute and innocent looking demon in disguise. From her outward appearance she looks like a heavily tattooed Haley Williams, but couldn't possibly sound less like her. Instead she unleashes positively destructive, vein-bulging wails that will leave even the staunchest metal heads in shock and possibly horror (yep, she's a chick alright). There are also two other things that really make her standout as a metal/hardcore vocalist, one being her relentless ferocity. Many of the better known gals in metal today often tend to mix the hooky radio-ready choruses of metalcore into their arsenals to broaden their appeal; Candace makes virtually no such concessions. With the exception of a brief melodic stint in the bridge of "A Long Walk Home" and her soft, bluesy croons in the surprisingly calm closer "The Slaughter Begins," she roars all the way through the record. When she actually does sing she proves herself to be every bit as effective and sinister, with a tone not so different from that of Fiona Apple. The other attribute that really separates her from her peers is her range. Many female metal vocalists tend to be limited to higher register screams which quickly makes their voices tedious to listen to. Kucsulain isn't restricted in these regards; be it fierce mid range shouts, gang vocals, brutal death-ish growls, and even paint-stripping shreiks; she can do it all. Even despite her unwillingness to sing, her vocals rarely become tiresome. As good as Candace is she isn't the only thing that makes Walls of Jericho special. Whereas many metalcore bands today follow the typical establishment of using harmonized Gothenburg guitar leads to drive their music, WOJ takes a more old-school approach instead steroid pumping their sound with classic thrash metal riffs that will bring a smile to any Slayer fan's lips. These riffs make for some insanely catchy tunes like "II They Prey," "Feeding Frenzy," and "Discovery of Jones" that in no way compromise on heaviness. Additionally they supplement these with heavily distorted and even discordant melodies that also call Slayer to mind. Unfortunately there are no solos on the album, however it is unclear how well they would have worked in many of the songs, considering their relentless pacing. People typically aren't too enthused about breakdowns in heavy music anymore given how badly they've been abused and misused by many bands. While Jericho's breakdowns are not excessively technical the group knows how to take something simple and chunky and just make it heavy as shit. Hearing the thrashy riffs, and speedy double kicks rush over them as Candace roars lines like "FUCK THE AMERICAN DREAM" and "WE MUST TAKE BACK OUR LIVES" in her nastiest snarl sure make for some hella brutal bridges. There are a few nagging flaws that keep The American Dream from being great, one of which is the sense of repetition on the record. The band doesn't necessarily have a dead set formula for all their songs like many metalcore bands do, however the consistent punch of their music can dull a little after multiple listens and some of the songs do tend to blur into each other. There are some neat switch-ups here and there like the atmospheric intro of "The New Ministry" and the acoustic fadeout in "Discovering Jones," however considering the lack of solos, technical parts, or clean vocals, there should really have been more of them. Many of these complaints are fairly minor considering the fact that at just over thirty-five minutes in length, The American Dream hardly gives you any time to get bored; you'll be headbanging so hard you won't have the brain cells left to remind you that some of the band's songs sound a little similar. The American Dream is a very solid album in every sense that will appeal just as much to thrash aficionados as it will to hxc! tuff guys. Walls of Jericho are not just another band that knows how to plays a couple power chords with a pretty face yelling on top, but a group of heavy music lovers who can make one hell of a ruckus and with their most recent release they have crafted one of the most urgent and catchy core' albums to come out in 08'.

Walls of Jericho has been a figure in hardcore for a long time. Even though they had a temporary break up which stripped them from the music scene for a few years before the release of their return album All Hail the Dead, Walls of Jericho has managed to stay important and valid even in the changing landscape of the hardcore scene. The release of their album The American Dream is proof of that. With each album they’ve put out though, they’ve drifted further from their hardcore start and more into the realm of metal. The American Dream is a blistering metal record that has chops that don’t quit. They’ve taken their battle hardened style of metal laced hardcore and injected some real gut to it, drawing influence from bands like God Forbid, Arch Enemy, and others. Fans of the old Walls of Jericho will still find music to love on The American Dream, but it is a step in a new direction for them. Not a bad direction, but a new one. Musically, there’s never been any denial in the fact that Walls of Jericho is abrasive enough to grind down hardened steel. With this new release, they’ve shown us how brutal they can be. Blending thrash metal in with devastating breakdowns and hardcore riffs is what Walls of Jericho does best. This album shows them at their finest. One drastically big change has been the vocal style on the album. Candace Kucsulain has always been known as one of, if not the best female voice in all of hardcore, but with each record they release, her vocals become a little harsher, and she drifts further away from the singing she attempted (albeit poorly) with their earlier records. With The American Dream, Kucsulain does only attempt to sing cleanly once or twice, which is a step in a positive direction. With the way the album is recorded though, her vocals sound androgynous; it’s difficult to tell she’s a female vocalist. This isn’t a big setback as it doesn’t really matter the sex of the singer (gender biased is ridiculous) but it’s a fact, they’ve “toughened” up her vocals a bit and that seems to have worked against them. The American Dream is a metal fan’s wet dream. Despite its minor flaws, it is a real gem.

Following an acoustic EP that received mixed reviews (at best), Walls of Jericho has returned with their opus: a blistering lesson in destruction that will remind you why you love heavy music. An ominous piano plays softly against the backdrop of a brooding sonic thunderstorm waiting to erupt in opening track “The New Ministry.” Gradually, almost unnoticeably, tension begins to build: first a guitar riff falls intoplace, followed in suit by deliberate, open hi-hat percussion. Just after the 1-minute mark, vocalist Candace Kucsulain rips the aural curtain open with an impassioned bellow (for anybody who doesn’t already know, the lead vocalist is in fact female. Before you get any ideas though, know that not only can she scream as well as her male counterparts, but in someways, she can outdo them). The track closes with another well-timed scream, only to immediately jump into “II. The Prey,” a song that will have Slayer fanspeeing themselves with joy within the first ten seconds (most noticeably because the awesome throwback guitar riff). One of the best parts about the album is its unrelenting commitment to its purpose: to decry a system that has bred false hopes and eternally unrealized dreams. This impression is almost instantly perceptible at any given moment; the raw emotion of the album spews out of the speakers like a typhoon, evoking a kind of primordial sensation in the listener (that’s not to encourageoverlooking the lyrics, however, as one glance will provide a physical manifestation to these feelings). Kucsulain’s vocals incite and deprecate, and I’m not exactly sure what it is, but something about the feminine qualities of her voice give it a certain edge that I very rarely hear men attain. If for some reason this is not clear in the first two tracks, though, “The American Dream” leaves no doubt, with Kucsulain’s enraged yell of “Fuck the American Dream” exploding off the blocks. The title track and lyrical focal point of the album, this is hands down the best song Walls of Jericho has ever made. The build-up to the breakdown is hair-raising, and only fortifies listeners’ respect for Kucsulain’s vocal range. The next twenty-four minutes follow in much the same fashion. “I. The Hunter” finds Walls of Jericho remembering its hardcore influences with rapid-fire percussion and quick-yell vocal delivery. “Famous Last Words,” “A Long Walk Home,” and “Discovery of Jones” emphasize the band’s 80’s thrash influence, while “III. Shock of the Century” leans more towards modern heavy metal. Only in the last song does Walls of Jericho lower its guard in the form of acoustic closer “The Slaughter Begins.” It’s up to you to decide if ending the album in this fashion was appropriate; personally, I think it’s perfect. Its tortured fade to nothing parallels the band’s idea of the “American Dream.” With a pissed off attitude and gritty willingness to do something about it, The American Dream is a raging mass of seething disillusionment. As Kucsulain so aptly puts it, let the slaughter begin.

About a week ago, JP and I had the privilege to not only see Walls of Jericho in concert, but interview them as well [which will be posted soon]. In that interview, we were told this album was one of anger and fury and to be honest, that's the best way to put it. The American Dream, the Detroit based act's latest release on Trustkill Records is a well polished, yet gritty and in your face hardcore album. This isn't a disc for those of you rocking out to new hardcore breeds like Norma Jean or Suicide Silence, but rather for those of us who still throw on Throwdown's Haymaker and think that we'd never last in a fight with Madball. This is old school hardcore with just enough newer age sound to make it all feel so relevant and yet timeless all at once. If hardcore bands can hit their "stride," then Walls of Jericho have just done it. Ambient sounds and light keys welcome us to the battle cry,"The New Ministry." The track has a wonderful slow build the gets you into sync wit the band then hits you square in the face with a driving riff and gang vocals to really pull your heart into the record. Vocalist Candice [yes, it's a female] sounds like a beast on the prowl for the weak when calling out for everyone to "live out your dream with everything you have inside you." If this track is simply the buildup and then the almost unnoticeable switch to, "II The Prey," is the circe bit inducing alarm sounding the true start to the record. The track is fast and the production is stellar. The band, even by this track, show great progress in writing [attributed mainly to taking a solid month to live and write together before hitting the studio]. The time signatures change without a moment's notice and the band pulse like a caged creature throughout. This leads into the vocal introduction to the title track, which, without giving it away, is against the American dream. For a title track, this song has it all. It's heavy, laced with great riffs, gang vocals, and stellar lyrics. Specifically, the bridge to final breakdown is one of the best production and writing moments on the whole record. Candice and group pulsate before cutting everything out to just Candice basically speaking the refrain the come raging back only to subside in a steady build to the breakdown. I was honestly in awe the first time it played and still catch myself going, "wow," when it passes. The fourth track, Feeding Frenzy," didn't really hit me the way the previous ones had, however some work with audio projection direction was very welcomed. For those of you who are lost, there are moments whens the sound is heavy in one side of the speakers than the other [left vs. right]. Candice does have her own moment where she builds from soft spoken voice to brutal scram in about four lines and that is great, but otherwise, kind of a hit/miss track. I will say this, no one writes segways like WOJ. There is no track between, "Feeding," and, "I The Hunter," but the tracks match up flawlessly. This song begins a theme of straight forward, anger laced, pulsing hardcore that includes, "Famous Lat Words," and, "A Long Walk Home." However, "Walk," features very technical guitar work that just surpasses the rest of the band. Whether it's well placed feedback or simple mixing a chugging riff with some more freeform work, this track shines. The last breakdown is sure to induce a riot at live shows and the bass line on all the accented parts feels sent from God to make your feet move. Candice even sings on this track, a feat not too common on the disc, but it's quite good and before you know it, the brutality returns as if to say, "and you thought we were going to go soft," and then laugh in our faces. As the disc continues on, "III Shock of the Century," shows the band excelling in structure and composition. The technicality here surpasses the prior tracks exponentially and really makes you wonder where WOJ will take us next. "Discovery of Jonas," is a pretty straightforward hardcore track, but the gang vocal usage is stellar. A lot of bands slow up gang vocal moments to add to the intensity, but WOJ just hits you full force as if it's nothing new and I love every second of it. This then leads us into, "Standing on Paper Stilts," which, though made up of solid guitar work, just let em down. The drum pattern felt far too similar to the previous track and nothing really set this one apart from any run of the mill hardcore band. However, every band has a few "normal" tracks in them and the rest of the disc has been solid enough that I decided to let it slide and continue to trudge on. Lucky for me, "Night of a Thousand Torches," brought back all my faith in the band with easily their tightest track on the whole disc. Candice sounds like the voice nightmares are made of and the band plays very tightly throughout. Some time signatures changes allow for a bit more expression on the track and the bass line in the breakdown is undeniably catchy. Following this is the closer, "The Slaughter Begins," which takes all the energy on the album and drops it about 7 notches for a very relaxed track. The band uses a few samples and Candice's singing voice swoops in delicately and feels laced with intense emotion. The structure and atmosphere created is so strong here that you don't even mind the sudden change in style because it stands on its own quite well. I'm not saying the whole album should have been like this, but it's ridiculously good for a closer which is kind of odd considering the mood and sounds that lead up to this. What we have hear is a band that already works hard t expand their sound taking things to an even deeper, more technical level and it closes things beautifully, The American Dream is a traditional hardcore album laced with elements of new age metal so perfectly that everything, even the subtle closer hits you like a ton of bricks. The production is some of the best I've heard all year and the writing is miles ahead of others in the genre. Candice sounds like a lion and the band plays like a herd of tigers o the loose at night. This album could incite riots and if it did, that'd only be fitting. If you're only giving one band in the hardcore genre a chance this summer/fall, make it Walls of Jericho. This is a sound that may not be topping the Hot Topic playlists, but will outlive 90% of the "it" bands around today. I challenge anyone to find a more heart filled, technical, yet still old school rooted hardcore band or album out there today. This is the real deal. This is great.

We now return to or regular programming. You kind of have to wonder what Walls Of Jericho were trying to prove with their recent Redemption EP. Ditching their tried and true brand of highly effective, face-melting murdercore in pursuit of a softer, mainly acoustic direction might have been an attempt to show there was more to the Detroit quintet than aural carpet-bombing, but really, do you care about WOJ's sensitive side when they can opt to give you such a satisfying public beating instead? From the opening airstrike of "The New Ministry," it's clear that Candace Kucslain and co. have thankfully chosen the latter, and that the title just might be a tad ironic. The beat is locked down, the riffs dig in like fleshhooks and the rage in is full effect as everything submits to Kucsulain's hellbound roar-a staggering larynx-violation, delivered with eleventh-commandment intensity and an unshakeable conviction that less is not more, more is more. Listen to her feral, fangs-bared holler shredding it up against some equally vicious guitar work on "The Prey" and "Feeding Frenzy"- or bellowing it, gravel-throat style on "standing on Paper Stilts" like some post-apocalyptic survivor- and you'll be more concerned with how this weapon of terror has managed to sustain her vocal jihad for nigh on a decade, rather than whether it might be a good move now for WOJ to mix it up a bitch and y'know, sing some tunes and stuff. When they do break into song-as on pondering closer "The Slaughter Begins," there's a sense that stealth will never be a strong point. Ultimately, WOJ will always be a band that makes far more sense and energy live, but The American Dream at least makes for a useful enough battle plan.

A few months back Walls of Jericho put out an EP entitled Redemption. As if the fact that it was produced by Slipknot/Stone Sour vocalist Corey Taylor wasn't enough to make fans cry "sell out," its acoustic orientation alienated many fans. Still, with Taylor's name attached and high profile tours in tow I'm sure they gained more than they lost. The title of Redemption would have been more fitting for their latest full length, The American Dream, which many fans are hoping redeems the band from the EP. "Tonight is ours!" The powerful gang vocals of the opening track, "The New Ministry," are a great introductory song for an album of this nature and perfect to kick off a setlist to get the crowd pumped in a live setting. The chugging guitars call to mind the early hardcore roots of the band, but once the next track, "II The Prey," hits, the band displays their improved musicianship with a crisp, thrashy sound thanks to producer Ben Shiegel (Misery Signals, Chimaira, Drowning Pool). The band's music has gotten more metal-based with each release, and The American Dream continues the trend as an unabashed metalcore record. The title track is next, in which vocalist Candace Kucsulain professes "Fuck the American dream!" This song is sure to be a fan favorite with an anthemic sound, gang vocals, and a huge breakdown at the end. Much of the lyrical content is politically charged, but not overtly so; often they speak of war but mask it in metaphors, albeit not too subtly. Kucsulain also gets personal on tracks like "Standing on Paper Stilts." My favorite line comes from "A Long Walk Home:" "I know words can't change the world, but they can have an impact on life / Through some words that someone else wrote I found hope / And hope is all we have." Perhaps not the most poetic lyric, but it's one that I can really relate to. There are some unfortunate nu metal moments peppered throughout the album. "Long Walk Home" is particularly embarrassing; if it had a few more drummers and some DJ scratches it could be a Slipknot song, complete with clean singing. Prior to this I was glad that the band kept their clean vocals separate from their heavier material, but the entire song is bad. The disc comes to a close with "The Slaughter Begins," a track which would have fit right in on Redemption. It begins as a piano ballad before being accompanied by acoustic guitars and symbols. Kucsulain has an adequate voice and fans of Evanescence will enjoy such a track, but those looking for something heavy are sure to turn the album off early. Although the genre is over saturated, those looking for a sufficient metalcore disc will not be disappointed by The American Dream. With it Walls of Jericho will have fans piling on, circle pitting, moshing, and banging their heads all in a matter of minutes. Most importantly, it takes the bad taste left by the previous EP out of your mouth.

On their fourth full-length, and sixth overall release, metallic hardcore staples WALLS OF JERICHO dial up the fury once again and zero-in for the kill. I've long considered Candace Kucsulain, and company to be one the most exhilarating heavy bands on the circuit, and The American Dream proves that their longevity and reputation is once again, no fluke. WALLS OF JERICHO flirted with thrash before it made its widespread comeback, and the theme became dominant on their last full-length, With Devils Amongst Us All. The American Dream see the band once again toe the line in their blend of metal and hardcore, but the thrash elements consistently take a back seat to the monster riffs and pile-driving breakdowns ("A Long Walk Home", "Feeding Frenzy"). Kucsulain's herculean vocals continue to develop into one of the most blood-cuddling howls around. The rare, melodic bridge reminds you that, yes, there is in fact a female leading this band, but before that even connects, Kucsulain's screaming has you slapped upside the head one more time. Unlike the awkward marriage of screaming and singing that marred the band's All Hail The Dead release, The American Dream barely touches the "good cop" side of things, and when it does, it's always for accent and punctuation in the eye of the most vicious storm. The most useful compliment that I can heap on WALLS OF JERICHO is the belief that The American Dream has the completeness that sometimes eluded the band in the past. As a 36 minute exercise in carpet-bombing, this release simply destroys.

Here we are again. Metal; Brutal, ear drum splitting, spine bending metal rotates in the player before me. Walls of Jericho have it all if you are looking for an anathema to aggression. The music pounds. The riffs shred. The vocals growl. (Incidentally, singer Candace Kucsulain sounds like Patty and Selma combined, after both of which have been kicked in the throat.) That said, it would be mostly difficult for those unaware to detect that Walls of Jericho have a female lead "singer". The American Dream fully kicks ass in a metal sort of way. The problem is that I just don't feed on growling vocals. If they would drop the histrionics about 80% I could probably dig this band, but as it sits I grow weary of the razor's edge growl on each and every song. (except the last track) But being that they hail from Detroit, I can see why they're so damn pissed and far be it from me to dictate what kind of vocals you should appreciate. If snarl is your sort of thing, then by all means The American Dream f-ing rules. Seriously, I do like the music. I just can't get past the vox.

Walls Of Jericho are back with their second big release in less than 4 months, they released their highly anticipated Corey Taylor produced 5 track acoustic EP 'Redemption' back at the start of May, the release was unlike anything that Walls Of Jericho had ever done before but it was met with a lot of positive response from the fans of the band and the press alike, Walls Of Jericho also promised that their new album would be released later in the summer, well three months on and the bands new album 'The American Dream' is complete and ready for release. From listening to 'The American Dream' a few times over it seems that creating and releasing 'Redemption' the acoustic EP has done Walls OF Jericho a power of good, they managed to get their more chilled out side recorded and released on that EP which means they have come back fresher, heavier and angrier than ever with their new album 'The American Dream', it’s definately the heaviest and loudest album the band have ever released. With 'The American Dream' it’s like Walls Of Jericho have done the totally opposite of what you would do during a workout, you start off gently with all your stretches and then you gradually step up the pace and do more and more until you finish with that massive 10 mile run, here instead of dropping you in lightly with an acoustic track and then knocking the aggression up a notch or two throughout each and every track, Walls Of Jericho have decided to throw you in at the deep end and come at you with guitars strumming at 100 miles per hour and throw pretty much everything they have at you in an aggressive fashion before finishing with that acoustic track that you could of quite done with at the start or halfway through the album. 'The American Dream' is the fourth Walls Of Jericho CD to be released on Trustkill Records, a label that Walls Of Jericho seem to be dedicated to, the album is 12 tracks long and runs for just over 35 minutes. Before putting 'The American Dream' on, make sure everyone's out of your house, open the windows and crank the volume up a notch or two and get ready to enjoy this heavy injection of metalcore music. The album opens with 'The New Ministry', which starts off with a variety of soundscapes giving the song a chilled introduction that builds up, then about one minute in the guitar riffs come in thick and fast and front woman Candace Kucsulain makes her mark with her well known man style screams, Candace has a killer voice that suits the metalcore scene well, she can scream and shout better than any female singer I have heard in the past and she could give some of the leading men in the scene a run for their money, seriously if you heard a Walls Of Jericho song on the radio without knowing it was them you would think the lead vocals were coming from a man, and that’s strangely enough a compliment as Candace has developed the perfect vocal style that fits her bands music and the scene they are in. 'The New Ministry' finishes with some screams from Candace and straight away the next song 'II The Prey' fires in with guitars blazing, the song has a circle pit feel about it which could be down to the Slayer style guitar riffs that have enough power to rip a hole through your body. The album title track 'The American Dream', starts off with Candace screaming "fuck the American dream", before a thundering assault of guitar riffs come in. 'The American Dream' is the best track on the album and could quite possibly be the best one that Walls Of Jericho have ever made but that’s all down to a matter of opinion I guess. But seriously if you like your guitar riffs big and meaty, your drumming so heavy and powerful that it could make your ears bleed, your vocals extremely loud and full of rage and well written explicit lyrics than 'The American Dream' is the song for you. As mentioned above the whole album follows the same routine with the way that each and every track is big and meaty sounding until you get to the acoustic feel of album closer 'The Slaughter Begins', the song sounds like it would have fitted on their acoustic EP perfectly but 'The Slaughter Begins' is not the type of song that you would expect to close such an aggressive album as the song is really chilled out and is driven by a soothing piano piece with Candace singing in such a soulful beautiful way, however the song is perfectly placed on the album giving you a few minutes to chill and fully take in and try and understand the outstanding 33 minutes of aggression your ears, brain and pretty much whole body has just had to endure. Walls Of Jericho have done well with 'The American Dream', it’s one of the most important albums the band have ever released and it should help cement the band a place at the top of the metalcore genre, which is something they clearly deserve, in recent months Walls Of Jericho have proved that they can play both soft and aggressive and I have to say it’s the aggressive side that I enjoy the most.

I counted Walls Of Jericho as one of three very big hardcore bands where metal made its way into their sound, and ever since, those bands continued progressing on each album. Unfortunately one band stopped progressing, and the other ended up copying another band heavily, leaving Walls Of Jericho as the final big path-forger. I’ve only heard a few songs sparsely from Walls Of Jericho over time. Hearing them live in the earlier “All Hail the Dead” era, the band was focused on chord running metallic hardcore. I only heard a few songs from “With Devils Amongst us All”, and the Slayer comparisons I heard were quite apt. “The American Dream” comes off as a strange beast, as the band morphs from one incarnation of metal-tinged hardcore to full-on metal songs that barely sound hardcore at all, yet they tie the two elements together with songs that actually split time between the two. The pure metal songs are themselves riff-fests throughout, owing much to Slayer’s blade-sharp thrash attack while mixing in dissonant tones, with the mid-paced versions being lock-step oriented. On the complete opposite side are pure chord-running race to the finish line hardcore songs, sometimes lacking a breakdown. While this sounds like a huge clash, Walls Of Jericho tie everything together with songs that split time between the two, while adding tiny variations to each songs, like “III. Shock Of The Century” featuring artificial harmonics, or the Alive In Chains like singing in “A Long Walk Home”. Breakdowns are switched up as well, and while single note breakdowns are present, they’re only half of the tempo droppers on the effort, with the rest being pounding riff oriented. The breakdown shakeup makes the metalcore styled breakdowns hit so much harder. Throuhgout the whole effort though, vocalist Candace Kucsulain pours the conviction off with a throat shredding snarl. Except of course for “The Slaughter Begins”, a piano ballad hinted at with tiny piano intros and breaks where Candace goes all soft and bluesy. Pleasurably cathartic while fresh and moving forward just enough.

Sound: Just like with Arch Enemy, you get a fairly a good shock to the senses when you see what the frontman, um, frontwoman of Walls of Jericho looks like. Of course, many of you are probably well aware that the vocalist behind the metalcore quintet is the lovely Candace Kucsulain. The vocalist proved she is a capable singer in the traditional sense on the band’s acoustic EP Redemption (produced by Slipknot/Stone Sour’s Corey Taylor), but she can still growl and roar with the best of them. The EP was met with mixed reviews, so many of you will probably be eager to know that there is a return to Walls of Jericho’s usual brutal form with the new full-length album The American Dream. The album does have a more aggressive feel than Walls of Jericho’s past releases, and the band delivers surprises in terms of the musical arrangements most of the time. As is usually the case, Kucsulain has an effective delivery, which is enhanced by a relentless rhythm section. The American Dream starts out with the eerie intro “The New Ministry,” a track that is just shy of 3 minutes. For the first half it’s all about creating atmosphere, and the band wisely builds layer upon layer of instrumentation (while the tempo builds as well). It’s an incredible opener, and it definitely gets your attention when Kucsulain throws out a dictator-like speech, complete with the roar of an eager crowd. The tracks that follow definitely deliver a punch in terms rhythmically, with plenty of bass pedal and furious strumming. Walls of Jericho are obviously fans of a good riff, and that comes across as well. There are many Kerry King-like moments on The American Dream, and guitarists Chris Rawson and Mike Hasty deserve credit for delivering the kind of dark riffage that Slayer has become famous for over the years. The title track is one of the highlights in this area, with “II The Prey” also standing out for it's subtle, cool lead guitar lines under the chorus. “Discovery of Jones” shows off the best of both worlds, with the first half delivering some of the most aggressive moments on the record. When one minute remains in the track, Walls of Jericho takes a cue from the Redemption record and goes acoustic. Adding the twist at the end was actually what “Discovery Of Jones” needed. Yes, it was aggressive, but it also seemed a bit too ordinary and repetitive. The last minute might be restrained and slowed down, but it has a creepy quality with a melody that would befit Black Sabbath. The closing song “The Slaughter Begins,” which also happens to be a ballad, once again features some gorgeous acoustic work (not to mention Kucsulain’s straight singing voice). Lyrics and Singing: Except for the closing track, you’ll need to check the liner notes or your favorite online reference to know just what Kucsulain is singing about on The American Dream. The cool thing about Walls Of Jericho’s lyrics is that that they tend to be in a free verse style. So basically they aren’t tied to any rhyme scheme and just throw out whatever passionate line they feel like singing. Passion is indeed the key to most of the songs, and it definitely sets a mood. In “I The Hunter” Kucsulain sings, “I am a monster inside a man; The outer shell is my better half; Methods of madness have no end when you hunt the dead.” There’s no shortage of interesting lyrics, which should count for something -- even if you can’t understand it all. Impression: While it’s still hard to grasp how Kucsulain is able to make some of the growls/roars that she does, by the end of The American Dream it is the band as a whole that makes an impression. While the record does have a few moments where it does get a bit repetitive, the majority of the album flows well. Between the breakdowns, double-pedal action, and harmonizing guitars, The American Dream is a solid metal record.