The thunder of drums have been unleashed! Adversary's Singularity is a pummeling debut that will have you crying for Excedrin with it's up-front-and-center bass drum assault, but you'll also be crying to hear their next album because there's just not enough material on this disc to sate your metallic appetites. This is a great first album for a band to have despite the over-the-top bass drum sound, as the band displays great chops throughout and makes no mistakes. If a bit by-the-book, Adversary's got enough spit and vinegar in their veins to keep you coming back for more. "Hedonist" is probably the perfect opening track: the double bass is absolutely relentless, so anyone looking for lighter fare (or who are sporting a head cold) will know to turn the disc off, while the rest of us begin the journey down death-thrash alley. Clearly inspired by the Gothenburg sound but with vocals and breakdown sections that scrape together the shattered pieces of metalcore bands left dead in this speed-metal wake, this first song is filled to brimming with great riffing and sweet solos. The disc takes a turn very fast on second track The Grand Mistake, as well as several of the following tracks, applying Adversary's more personalized touch to the genre. "...Mistake" and titular "Singularity" are more death-rock oriented, presenting harmonized solos and more of a rolling, head-banging groove. Some sing-songy screams show up too, followed by a second or two of clean vocals with a bluesy influence. All of this is a nice change of pace, but there's something going on beneath the surface... "In Vino Veritas" has more of this clean singing over some groovier crunch. And that's when it hits: the clean singing doesn't quite get off the ground, often hitting some flat notes. It doesn't detract much, but it definitely stands out enough to raise an eyebrow. Upon hearing one track, All Things Heavy's own Dave Brooks launched into a fine impression of a rickety old grandma and said "That's right grandson! You should sing more! You have such a lovely voice." If granny asks you to sing more, you sing more. That's just how it is. But in this case, granny is best left to her own devices; Adversary's clean singing is okay in parts, but the off-key notes are very noticeable and are a little too common on some tracks. A few rounds with a vocal coach and this won't be an issue, but until then, it might be a good idea to back off, Sonny Jim. Anyway, back to the CD! "Manifest Humility" is like an In Flames/Arch Enemy mashup that showcases some intense guitar work. I feel like some of it's been done before, but maybe not quite this well. The song has some breaks that kick ass, and once again, if the clean singing was either pitched correctly or cut out altogether, this track would be a momentous jam. Its limitations drag it down, but not too far; cover the vocals under lots of bass and treble and you'll be more than happy. More importantly, the death vocals on this track near the end are some of the most blistering on the album. You get a lot more, too: the melodic instrumental "Ashes of Faith" with its great time changes and crazy fills; "Dying Art" is a direct In Flames rip-off, but a damn fine one; "The Romance of Lies" features guitar dueling that spins off into straight up death-thrash assualting; and finally some more off-key singing juxtaposed by some viscerally exciting growls. Tough call at times, but overall, this stuff is good. I can't stress enough that musically this is a great, blistering disc of deathy thrash metal, with some groovy licks and great instrumentation all around. The singer's good, but he had to listen to Grams, to the detriment of several tracks. It's never enough to kill the whole ordeal, and if you crank your music loud enough, you just won't care. Don't pass on this disc because of the faltering vocals: it accounts for like 2% of the album, so you'd be screwing yourself out of 98% killer material. Here's a tip to avoid the bad vocals: learn the key he's trying to sing in, and just belt out the lyrics louder. You won't notice the difference, and it'll make the whole thing a little more interactive. Better than entering an air guitar contest, anyway!

Adversary’s debut release Singularity was discovered by me only today, and let me tell you, this thing is such a blast to listen to! Why I have been spending all this time not listening to this record is beyond me, in fact, it’s a sin that I haven’t discovered this gem sooner. Combining catchy hooks and melodies akin to All That Remains, while maintaining the brutality of traditional melodic death metal, Adversary is the perfect progeny of mainstream pop sensibilities, and underground heaviness. What’s most surprising however, is that Trustkill Records, a label traditionally associated with its hardcore releases, has picked up this band and is marketing Singularity which originally was released independently. From a metalhead’s perspective, this is a fantastic acquisition by Trustkill as it gives a huge amount of legitimacy to a label that is attempting to enter the heavy metal market much like Victory Records and their “Victory Metal” spinoff, which has seemingly only signed one noteworthy act, Dead to Fall, whom are no longer active. I am not the type of person who is all or nothing concerning metal, obviously there have to be labels for other genres as well, hardcore included. However, if you, as a traditional hardcore label, want to enter the world of heavy metal, please do it right and treat the genre with respect. Trustkill Records signing Adversary is a definite great start in their effort to fully extend into metal.

Adversary has been active since 2003 and 5 years later they release their debut album, "Singularity". The huge promoting and marketing around this band wants us to believe they sound like a lot of great bands. Names like Slayer, Lamb of God and Fear Factory have been mentioned multiple times. Yet I can't seem to find a resemblance to any of these bands. If you would've said they were influenced by these bands, I would've agreed, but still under protest. This band is textbook Gothenburg style metal. Melodic death metal for the ones who are unfamiliar with the name. There for the only band that comes to my mind when listening to these guys is In Flames. Not because In Flames is the only Gothenburg band, but because they just sound like them and share the same musical style of course. This categorization and comparison is also the major downside of this record. It's all pretty predictable and not very original. The songs all sound quite the same. Maybe some more variation next time, boys. The strong point of this band however is the vulgar display of (musical) power. The crunching guitar work by Ryder and Harrison, the thundering double bass by Green and the hardcore like vocals by Clapp. Oh yes, Tidwell does a great job too of course. The flow of chemistry bursts out of my speakers. This is a band in the purest sense of the word. Only one record made and they've already passed the musical level of some of the bands who went before them in the Gothenburg genre. Even In Flames need to keep an eye out, because these guys are going for the crown. Certainly since In Flames are scattered across about every metal genre except Gothenburg metal, these days. When you don't have much time, but still want to listen to it in your record store (be it online or not), make sure you listen to outstanding tracks like "Singularity", "By Apathy Undone" and "Ashes of Faith". The three mentioned tracks are worth the purchase of this excellent piece of work alone. If you're into the Gothenburg sound, I just wasted five minutes of your listening time of one of the genres best releases in the last few years.

Trustkill is a label that has always managed to keep a blip on my radar, and they’ve had some great bands on their roster over the years. It’s interesting to see how the label has moved with the times and latest signing Adversary are testament to that. Straight out of Virginia via Gothenburg, Adversary don’t make any effort to hide their influences, but occasionally, if you’re good enough, you don’t have to. I can hear bits and pieces that shine through from both sides of the Atlantic; from the melodic yet crushing dual guitar attack of In Flames to the scathing rasp of Zao’s Daniel Weyandt, this is straight-out modern metal but with an increasingly rare twist: it’s actually pretty damn good. Tracks such as opener ’Hedonist’ combine elements of European melodic death metal with modern American metal effortlessly, and are executed with impressive precision. ’The Grand Mistake’ continues the pattern and ends with an absolute beast of a riff that would surely turn the most rigid of crowds into a seething mosh pit. Further in, and yet more European influences suddenly fly out at me. ’In Vino Veritas’ and ’Manifest Humility’ is a storming pair of tunes that sound like they’re fresh off the Nuclear Blast pile. ’Singularity’ is an album that creates the illusion of being forgettable upon first listen (no thanks to the bottleneck in the US metalcore scene at the moment), but repeated listens and the infectious subtleties slowly worm their way out. The highlight for me actually comes in the form of an instrumental track. This is certainly no slight on vocalist William Clapp (in fact his black metal tinged growl is a breath of fresh air amongst a sea of monotonous Howard Jones clones), but the brooding yet distinct ’The Ashes of Faith’ stands out like a monument amongst desert dunes. With driving riffs comes a dominating rhythm that never lets up; with distinct solo work comes a brooding, almost ’Justice’-era Metallica impression. The next couple of songs sadly pale in comparison, and the album begins to drift in the direction of generic obscurity. It never quite picks itself back up before it ends, but ’Singularity’ does more than enough to hold its own. A very solid album overall, with more than a few hints of greatness that will hopefully come to the fore as the band progress. I’d actually go as far to say that they are giving some of the bigger names a run for their money. In fact right now, I’ll take ’Singularity’ over current releases from any other American band I can think of who are attempting to play the same style of music. With a number of the more established bands falling into decline and maintaining their positions as flagships as a matter of course, the time has come for some of them (mentioning no names Trivium) to be knocked off their pedestals. Adversary manages to single-handedly walk up to their peers with a copy of ’Singularity’ and say, "stick that in your pipe". For a debut album, that’s pretty damn impressive. This lot should already be huge and with Trustkill’s help, it’s surely only a matter of time.

Childhood friends from Virginia, this five-piece have produced a dramatic and hellishly addictive full-length that covers Grade-A Gothenburg metal with an approachable US coating for this hardcore-free debut. Like swigging Jager from a freshly polished hip-flask, Adversary relish in delivering the wickedly familiar with a modern twist. William Clapp's vocals switch between brutal attacks and uplifting melodic chanting, allowing tame breathers amid the onslaught. Complete with cynical lyrics, cataclysmic guitar slaying and deep grooves, Singularity is a playground of Slayer-meets-Dragonforce contrasts. By Apathy Undone's stomach-churning riffs drive into Ashes Of Faith, a euphoric, dual-guitar frenzy you never want to end. Gloriously indulgent.

When I first heard that Adversary was from Manassas, VA, my interest was piqued for all the wrong reasons. You see, I live 10 minutes outside of Manassas and over the years have been to countless shows in and around the area. Most of these shows involved heavy volumes of girl pants, pig squeals, and spin kicks; all things guaranteed to ensure eternal auditory (and probably personal) damnation in my eyes. So for the past 6 years, I’ve regarded Manassas as a cultural wasteland, devoid of any talent or riff that didn’t rely on open string strumming. With this in mind, it is little wonder that my first instinct was to write off this group’s first record, Singularity, as nothing more than another derivative deathcore record. Well… it’s not. In fact, with the exception of Blacklisted, I’ve never been so wrong about a band before. After listening to this record for the better part of a month, I’m convinced that Singularity is everything that is right with the modern American metal scene, and then some. Adversary’s sound is most broadly described as melodic death metal. The trouble with such abstracts in the case of albums like this one is that they are woefully oversimplified. It’s been quite awhile since the metal community has heard something like the sonic smorgasbord called Singularity. Infectious melodic riffing compels you to hum their songs all day long, and the pummeling rhythm section keeps all four of my limbs flailing along in a never ending quest to master the air drums. What makes Singularity really rise above albums from Adversary's peers is the occasional curve ball the innovative Virginians throw at your expectations. The instrumental “Ashes of Faith” contains both an impressive (if somewhat overindulgent) extended guitar solo followed by a cathartic build up using two cellos to lay the foundation for the approaching crescendo. Several of the tracks make heavy use of pentatonic scales. “Wisdom in Regret” and “Hedonist” both demonstrate a thick southern sound and mountains of groove added to an otherwise thoroughly European metal album. Also, the fourth song, “In Vino Veritas”, stands out from the other jams on first listen. It’s the best song on the disc if for no other reason than the hammer-on riff that captivates you from the beginning chorus right to the closing guitar squeal. This is the kind of song that gets put on play lists and mix CDs for years to come. Perhaps the most remarkable part of an already noteworthy introduction is to be found in the vocal department. Singer William Clapp adds enormous depth to Adversary’s sound with his powerful and varied delivery. Boasting both a vicious, snarling rasp and a dynamic, emotive clean register, Clapp’s voice is a force to be reckoned with. The interplay between the two sung extremes is very reminiscent of metalcore favorites, At All Cost. Both bands use the vocals as audio cues for verse/chorus transitions and to great effect. Singularity is rife with memorable choruses courtesy of Clapp. The lyrics are hit or miss, but you’ll have so much fun singing along it’s hard to care what nonsense you’re saying. Catchy riffs and heavy grooves are key components to success, and Adversary are flush with both. However, few albums are perfect and Singularity doesn’t quite meet this illustrious standard. For instance, after “Manifest Humanity” the rest of the songs don’t establish their identity as strongly as the front five. Production values also could use some adjusting. The bassist is M.I.A. on the record as near as I can tell. This is yet another example of a really good album that could have been truly great with some audio tweaking. Adversary has unleashed a monster of a debut album. The songs are well crafted, they rarely lose your attention, and gems like “In Vino Veritas” and “The Grand Mistake” will ensure that this disc gets plenty of play time. It’s refreshing to hear a young, talented metal band playing a uniquely Americanized style of European melodeath. Modern metal scene take notice: no longer will cookie cutter replicas of Slaughter of the Soul be enough to sell records. Gone are the days of bloated breakdowns wasting half the track. Monotone growling and slightly off key singing will satisfy the masses no more. The Singularity has been calculated, and it’s massively heavy.

This album is the truest of ways to make modern Melodic Death Metal and that is to do it less Hardcore, use the old Gods of Melodic Death Metal as inspiration, mix clean, growl vocals, and ride on with killing solos. Apparently, other bands are doing the same these days but Adversary tops lots of them with Singularity. Adversary came forward from Manassas, Virginia in the US in 2003. Since their rising, and until Singularity, the band only released one demo that features some songs that eventually appeared in their full-length release. Singularity was first released in 2007 as a self produced and self distributed release until the band signed with the label Trustkill Records that hosts some other modern acts like Bleeding Through and Walls Of Jericho. The outcome was that near the end of 2008 , Singularity was released through Trustkill. The band’s sub-genre and style of playing makes you go back to the early 90’s when the Gothenburg Melodic Death movement was only recognized in Scandinavia, when In Flames’s Lunar Strain and Dark Tranquility’s Skydancer were hitting the streets. Adversary used the Gothenburg elements, as a strong influence, to enhance their music. As previously mentioned, other bands did the same. The best example is the Canadian Melodic Death Metal act, Into Eternity. These guys hav speed , great production, melodies and a hell of a singer but through Adversary you can feel power and strength that bands like Into Eternity, however great they are, do not always have. These two elements should be equally credited to the production team, managed by Gutierrez, and to the band itself. With flawless production and a rain of melodies, driving solos , and combined vocals , Adversary have draw the line on how modern Melodic Death Metal should be played and this release can be noted as a classic one day. Along with the melodic elements of Scandinavia, there are the powerful rhythms and grooves of the New American Metal movement like Lamb Of God, merely their latest era, and the diverse old Fear Factory. Same as with the Swedish Death Metal bands, there is a variety of themes that are scattered all over Singularity like cosmic, life, belief etc. The message could be unknown to some listeners but through deep listening of the music, like in many examples in the past, you can feel the words flowing. It all starts with “Hedonist” which with the first running of fast drumming and screaming growls, you know that this ride is going to be a major blast. Then Gothenburg starts flowing all over along with the Mikael Stenne’s like growls from the mouth of William Clapp that makes it a killer track. In addition to the strong growls, Clapp has a good ability on the clean vocals , not artistic as Into Eternity’s Stu Block, but rather more dark like Staind’s Aaron Lewis and Soilwork’s Speed Strid. “The Grand Mistake” continues the mania with more various riffs of old school Melodic Death Metal, especially with melodic fast trills, and strong rhythms. The solo in this one is great, kind like old Heavy Metal along with harmonics between the axmen. “Singularity” starts with a weird, cheerful opening, and then turns into a groovy Lamb Of God like number but with a solo, a very nice track. Then comes “In Vino Veritas”, which means “In Wine There Is Truth”. Except for the amazing music speedster and bone crushing stuff, the title is unique and original. The use of clean vocals here makes this one more of a catchy tune but it makes the song, along with the speed and solos, a good listen to crowds who do not like Death Metal much and that is why it’s the best around here. “Manifest Humility” can be considered a Dark Tranquility material of both their eras, truly a nice tune. “Ashes Of Faith” is a well done instrumental that shows all of Adversary’s influences, both groove and the old Melo Death. Within this track there is also verses, which in them can be heard acoustic guitars along with, what seems to be , a Cello or a violin or both. “Dying Art” is like listening to In Flames’ Jester Race but with the addition of the great clean vocals - quite a memorable one. The closer, “Wisdom In Regret” drives out with power, speed and a closing rhythm that will make you want even more. The solos in this one are a slow piece of work but filled with arpeggios, squeals and some sadness. Singularity is a piece that should be considered a classic one day. Adversary are doing it right and with hope they will keep on doing so in the future. A great release guys , the Metal world trusts you to bring even a more massive piece next time around!

Those snot-nosed punks... Well, that's a first. Half-way through "By Apathy Undone," a perfectly decent old-school thrash number by Manassas, VA's Adversary, there's an odd moment where it sounds exactly like Beelzebub himself is hocking a loogie. It's a vocal misstep, but a rare one. Credit (?) for that snot-clearing moment goes to frontman William Clapp, who manages a wide array of growls, grunts and admittedly melodic moments on Singularity, his band's first album. For the most part, Adversary seem to build their songs around a solid, neck-snapping groove, layering a series of Clapp's wandering vocals around the twin-guitar histrionics of Kenny Harrison and Brad Ryder. The resultant tunes owe a fairly decent debt to the likes of Slayer, Fear Factory and Trivium - in a good way. But even the band, which does the fast-then-superfast thing quite well (especially on the title track), knows when to take a break. Such as on "Ashes of Faith," a.k.a. their Opeth moment; halfway through the speedy prog instrumental, the music suddenly halts, with violins, acoustic guitars and gentle cymbal brushstrokes providing a minute-long respite. It's the little moments like this - and even Clapp's Musinex-inspired tics - that suggest Adversary are ready to toy with their old-school formula. The now is good - the future seems brighter.

Singularity is a debut album from one of America’s more promising new metal acts- Adversary. Hailing from Virginia these 5 childhood friends established this band a few years ago. Their debut album is amazing having in mind it is exactly just a debut. The band is all over the place on this ten tracker disc. Their musical style reminds me of Swedish metal and acts such The Haunted and At The Gates, but also towards more American bands as Slayer, Lamb of God and even Fear Factory. In other words; their sound is very diverse… I like metal delivered differently from anything else, I like when the bands dare to provoke and go their own way. I’m not sure if I can say it entirely is the case here, but what I can say is the fact that their crossover hardcore and melodic death metal is interesting. It is built around numerous breakdowns and irresistible grooves, much in the style of Testament and Arsis. There’re also some melodic guitar solos like taken from the early days of metal when this thing was very modern. The vocals are most of the time clean, but I’m enjoying it a lot. All ten tracks are perfect and production is just amazing. Adversary is the band metal fans have been dreaming about for years, and it couldn’t have come soon enough.

Des Moines/Iowa is a place that most metal fans will connect with Slipknot, but this place has more to offer. Too Pure To Die is a band coming from the same area, but are playing a quite different sort of metal. Their music is groovy and southern influenced and in a hardcore/metal manner, reminding me of acts such Hatebreed, Bury Your Head, Shadows Fall, Pantera and even Down. Confess is their debut album released through Trustkill Records and I must say it sounds and look very promising. The songs are well written and with an energetic, groovy and into-the-point attitude. The production part has been handled by Jamey Jasta (Hatebreed frontman). It contains 11 tracks which all are filled with some jackhammer riffs and ruptured-asphalt vocals. If you’re into metallic hardcore with pummelling riffs and tremendous drumming, this motherfucker of an album is the right choice for you. Despite of the fact that the metal scene is overrun by many bands into this genre, I predict a very bright future for Too Pure To Die as they seem to be hard-working and honest quintet that knows exactly what they want.

Hailing from Virginia, United States (also home-state of Lamb Of God), Adversary make the difference in the metal scene today which tends to baptize most of the new bands popping out in familiar metalcore waters. Specializing in melodic death metal, heavy and melodic compositions, thrash metal fixes, solos and an aggressive mood that won’t let you retreat for more than a few seconds. William Clapp’s vocals are diverse, ranging from high pitched screams to clean melodic singing in choruses. Also, the production is worked out perfectly in order to give the listener an “in your face” beating of the band’s edgy and cutting hits. What can be and must be clearly realized is that Adversary is a significant modern metal band, demonstrating a musical style which has many old school influences but still needs that fresh injection of these modern bands’ developing sound, and Adversary combine both with great success!

What a debut ! Fierce biting metal that will drive its fangs in your neck as you bang your brains to oblivion. Virginia based Adversary are all over the place like grains of sands, after a hurricane got hold of a dessert. It's Swedish metal in the veins of At The Gates, mixed with what we now know as New Wave of American Heavy Metal from the likes of Killswitch Engage. While at the background there's this slight influence of what I'd call 'Testament's-90s-metal', a blend of death and thrash with an irresistible groove. The talent these young fellows have is hardly matched as it is, but it's their debut. How can they ever top this? I am going to keep my eyes on them for sure.

ADVERSARY have arrived on the scene with their debut album "Singularity", being released on the Trustkill label, and let me tell you this right now: it is one hell of a debut album! The album features everything you could possibly want from a Metal album and without a doubt shows that this 5-piece Metal band from Virginia has not only spent a lot of time perfecting their sound but have created something that is familiar yet individual and original at the same time. From the intense opening track "Hedonist" to the closer "Wisdom In Regret", the album doesn’t stop its relentless attack on your senses. The guitar duo provides a range of impressive shredding and crushing riffs. The riffs will literally slay you as you listen and this is especially evident on the instrumental track "Ashes Of Faith", which provides nothing short of an epic experience. These two guitarists’ really impress with their overall skill and make this debut album shift away from the crowd. The vocal work from William Clapp is a highlight as well, coming at you with a huge amount of raw sonic power; his crushing screams and growls with threaten to rip off your face while the melodic side to his vocals will lull you into a false sense of security with some clever vocal hooks before the next onslaught. While I’m not a huge fan of the melodic side to the vocals it defiantly fits the sound the band has created. For every time you go to compare ADVERSARY to a similar sounding band the vocal line takes another interesting twist leaving you in bewilderment as to where it will venture next. It is the complex arrangements, shifting between intense riffs that sound like they belong in a Thrash outfit and guitar harmonies that make this sound fresh. The bass and drums destroy your senses throughout as you would expect. At times the sound can sound a little chaotic, with the complex arrangements and various goings-on, not coming together as seamlessly as the band would hope but this is a small problem and one that will be ironed out as the band gains more and more experience in writing and playing. ADVERSARY provide a listening experience with "Singularity" that can be exhausting at times as the energy doesn’t drop, not even for a second, but every second you invest in listening to this debut album you know you are investing time in a band that not only has a chance to rise to the top but the ability to cripple their rivals and the veterans of the genre. This is the band to watch in the coming years!

Adversary = In Flames + Arsis + At the Gates I opened the mail and lo and behold, there was another release from Trustkill Records. This is Adversary's first release, but it's a good metal record through and through. Some might not be fans of the clean vocals, but I like the way they fit; not sounding as forced or contrived as many of their peers. The music is straight-up Americanized melodic death metal and it works. Although fairly predictable, it's free of hardcore crossover breakdowns and has some great dueling melodic guitar solos. It will be interesting to see if Adversary garners more attention than the typical metal band, being that they are on an historically hardcore-related label.

Brutality and Accessibility are usually two extremes in music which very rarely meet on common ground, especially in the hardcore genre, but this oestrogen fronted war machine who pulverise and decimate in a way that will even get the youngest-alternative newbie salivating. For anyone who doesn’t know who Walls of Jericho are, the answer is simple: they are a female fronted 5-piece who since the release of their first album ‘With Devils Among Us’ or the more known sophomore album ‘All Hail the Dead’ have gone from strength to strength, and ‘The American Dream’ is unrelenting example of a band who have found their sound- with a spattering of Political statements to sweeten an already tooth-destroying deal. The American Dream has all the trademarks of the heavily-saturated hardcore genre, riffs with more beef than a steak platter, and more aggression than a horny bull, but it lacks the generic and normally monotonous, power-chord breakdowns that have become almost a staple of anyone haunting the scene in the last few years; and this really does work in their favour. ‘Feeding Frenzy’ is an onslaught on the senses, with tracks like ‘Standing on Paper Stilts’ and the album-named track beating you to a bloody pulp. There no lengthy tracks here either, just brutal, 3 minute stabs-to-the-chest. It could be a downfall that the tracks are sometimes too short, with the resulting run-time being just an almost Distillers-esque 39 minutes long, but why would you want anymore? This album has been tuned to perfection, and it’s not like you could ask for anymore.

Adversary are talented, no question about that, On Singularity, guitarists Kenny Harrison and Bread Ryder bust out some killer riffs and solo particularly on the epic instrumental "Ashes Of Faith," while drummer Justin Green propels the music forward with a surprisingly deff attack. The mix makes bassist Daniel Tidwell a nonentity, though we're sure he's fine. But all these riffs, all these solos, all these dynamic shifts from crazed thrashing to dreamy choruses just kinda sound like Trivium outtakes, Only vocalist William Clapp gives the band a unique sonic identity, and it's not always in a good way - he careens from Glen Benton-esque roars to Angela Gossow-like shrieks, and then rips off Matt Heafy on the choruses. Singularity is a solid, purist metal album and some may even find themselves liking it better than Trivium albums, but Adversary are not breaking any molds.

Compared to the other artists on Trustkill Records roster, Adversary was a relatively new addition and because so I wasn't sure how well they would fit with the NJ based label. So when their latest album "Singularity" came in, I wanted to see how much this five-piece from Manassas VA could bring to the table. And I've got to say, for a band I just found out about a few weeks ago, Adversary really has some break out talent. The clear production and crisp sound quality are at the center of a set of dueling melodic guitars and crashing drums. I first thought of the masterful guitars and charging percussion of All That Remains (minus the whiney singing) and substitute it for brutish growls, high pitched screeches, and some well delivered singing. Adversary seems to love pushing it to the limit with blistering fretwork and an unstoppable tempo. "Singularity" does follow a fairly well treaded path with regards to the collective sound of the whole album. You will begin saying to yourself "wow this sounds a lot like (enter metal band name here)," but usually if a band is very good at what they do, the unique critique gets left in the dust. Adversary will receiving many hours of play time in my stereo not because of how original they are, but because of how well they can do the already discovered. In my book, if it has talent and flawless guitars, it can't be wrong and that is this album to a T. Or a singulariT.

Harnessing Arch Enemy's unbridled metal maelstrom, Adversary literally explodes out of the gates! Before the first song "Hedonist", had finished, it was obvious this band deserves to be signed. "The Grand Mistake" causes a great bout of air guitar. The riffs are to die for, sounding as though they were brought to life in Gothenburg, Sweden, when in actuality Manassas, Virginia is home to metal's next big band. Their playing is at a fevered pitch, full of precision pounding. William Clapp's scathing cynical vocal delivery is fuelled by politically and socially charged messages. Cool artwork courtesy of Niklas Sundin from Dark Tranquility completes a near perfect package. [9.5 / 10]

After honing their craft for the past five years, the Virginia based band Adversary is unleashing their debut CD Singularity. One meaning of singularity is “one of a kind,” and although Adversary aren’t completely unique, they add enough twists and turns to make an interesting debut CD. Their sound combines European melodic death metal with lots of good old American groove. They add in elements of thrash and metalcore for even more diversity. The songs on Singularity are heavy with plenty of intensity, but also lots of melody. Driving guitars and blast beats inject extremity and brutality, but Adversary also adds plenty of hooks to make the songs more accessible. “Ashes Of Faith” even has strings, which is a nice touch. The vocals are also diverse, combining melodic singing and harsh screams. William Clapp has a decent singing voice, and the melodic vocals are solid. I prefer the harsh vocals, as the high and low pitched screams are more distinctive and add an edge to the groove. Singularity is a strong debut, and Adversary is a band that has the potential for commercial success while holding on to their metal credibility.

Sound: The latest addition to the Trustkill Label, Adversary, shows plenty of promise in terms of being an offshoot of the Gothenburg metal sound – even though they hail from Virginia. The description “audio assault on the senses” is thrown around a lot when talking about metal, but Adversary’s debut album Singularity fits it perfectly. There is rarely a dip in energy, almost to the point of being manic at times. Musically it’s a fascinating listen between vocalist William Clapp’s Cradle-of-Filth-style of high-pitched singing, and the particularly incredible guitar team of Kenny Harrison and Brad Ryder. You do get some alternating melodic vocals in the mix, which in this particular case, creates a much-needed balance. In the first seconds of Singularity, there is an eerie calm and you might think there will be a slow build on the opening track “Hedonist.” Oh, no. Adversary wastes no time in bursting out with nonstop double bass pedals, creepy screams, and distortion-fueled guitars. That’s not to say that the band’s debut release Singularity doesn’t take time to allow melody to come through. “Hedonist” gives us a taste of some beautiful guitar harmonies, which are enhanced by the alternating melodic vocal style. In this track and pretty much every other one on Singularity, the musicianship is what comes to the forefront, and there are some pretty complex arrangements that accentuate the band’s overall chemistry. The main issue is the overall cohesiveness of the songwriting, which again, tends to have a manic feel. There’s nothing wrong with nonstop energy, but the musical sections within the same song don’t always fit that well together. “Manifest Humility” is a perfect example because you get section after section of cool material, and they just seem to come from out of nowhere. When you separate one hook from the core melody and so on and so on, it’s not always a seamless transition. In a way, this does keep your attention, and I will give them that. And even if the songs don’t always work perfectly, Adversary still has some awesome shredders that will have you wishing that you could see just exactly how they’re playing particular parts. The overall speed, aggression, and energy are given the spotlight, but when they do bring things down, it almost sound heavier. “By Apathy Undone” once again assaults the senses, and a little before the mid-point, there’s a very cool, grooving breakdown. It’s in those types of moments that Adversary rises above the rest. The band also saves the best for last with “Wisdom In Regret, ” which starts out with a Megadeth-like lead riff and is solid from that moment on. From the machine gun-like effect of the vocal-percussion combo to the extremely memorable chorus, Adversary proves itself to be a formidable force in metal. // 8 Lyrics and Singing: We received an advanced copy of Singularity, and sadly there weren’t any liner notes to give us a rundown of every song’s lyrics. Clapp isn’t the easiest to comprehend, but I was able to find a few songs’ content via the beautiful Internet. There is an intensity to the music, and it seems the lyrics follow suit. There is almost a poetic, philosophical to a song like the title track “Singularity” with lyrics such as, “And as this ontological Renaissance does become me; May the sands of time engrain in a man.” These aren’t lines just tossed together to make the usual rhyme scheme, and it appears the band put just as much energy into the lyrics as the music. // 9 Impression: Although it is exhausting to listen to a few songs on Singularity, Adversary does find the perfect balance of energy and solid songwriting in many of the tracks. “Wisdom of Regret” is a downright perfect song, while the instrumental “Ashes of Faith” has a great mix of driving guitars, rhythmic insanity, and a calming string section. Even on the tracks that seem more chaotic than cohesive, there is a ton of creativity and that speaks well for Adversary’s future. // 8

The stylish guitar wank-outs of Brad Ryder and Kenny Harrison on Adversary's debut might make In Flames a bit nervous in the fingers. And if you think Arch Enemy's Angela Gossow sounds ferocious, wait 'til you hear William Clapp's evil roar. But before you go as far as labeling Adversary's hometown of Manassas, Virginia, the new Gothenburg, Sweden, notice how "In Vino Veritas" and "Hedonist" also recall the U.S. Grade-A grit, groove, and melody of Slayer, Lamb of God, and Fear Factory.

Adversary have made quite a statement on their assertive debut album, not only establishing themselves as one of America's more promising new metal acts, but one-upping some of their veteran peers. In fact, Singularity succeeds in every way that Trivium’s bloated Shogun fails, unleashing a barrage of riffs and vocal hooks, while remaining disciplined enough to know when to say when. While the ubiquitous, mid-paced melodic death metal sound of In Flames is put to full use, the quintet refuses to rely on that style as a crutch. Instead, they’ve added a taut, precise thrash element similar to Kreator, while vocalist William Clapp’s authoritative clean passages offset Mille Petrozza-like snarls. The throttling “Hedonist” is a terrific, barnstorming opener and the churning title track could pass for a very solid Clayman outtake, but ultimately it’s the multilayered instrumental “Ashes Of Faith” that best displays this talented band's tremendous potential.

Track One ‘Hedonist’ will soon get you sitting up and listening. The mastery of the double-foot drum is oh so clear! These guys are monsters of metal, echoing pure brilliance. Heavy guitaring accompanies a raw vocal delivery throughout verses and as we enter the bridge section, the vocals soften and the drums enter with a minute of double-foot onslaught (wow). This band are going to take the metal world by the balls and kick them into submission, Adversary are something new, something special. Every time I go to make a comparison to another artist, I am blown away by their unique approach. This is certainly a band who are not content with replicating the sounds of their idols, but rather proving that they are true to themselves in their sound and real contenders. Make way, Adversary are coming! Track 2 ‘The Grand Mistake’ has some really crisp guitar licks and harmonised riffing, proving once again that Adversary have taken the time to master their craft. This is no slap-dash effort, with excellent production, every member shines through as a talent. Track 5 ‘Manifest Humility’ is technical brilliance, with aspects of In Flames and Trivium creeping in, but even those bands would be head-banging in the wings as this band take the stage. You want idols? Check out Adversary – they are the future. Next time you’re in your local music shop, pick up a copy of this record. You will not be disappointed! I am tempted to get on a plane now and fly across the pond to see these guys live.