It wasn't too that ago that Killing the Dream was just a band with a demo. Upon first hearing said demo, I shared it with every single person that I knew telling them "this band is going to be huge." So maybe they're not selling out amphitheatres, but Killing the Dream are signed to one of hardcore's largest labels and have released what many in the hardcore community are already proclaiming to be the album of the year. Not too shabby eh?
The Norcal outfit tear things open with "Rough Draft (An Explanation)." The riffs are crisp, Isaac Fratini hits the drums firmly, and Elijah Horner's coarse screams fit the raw, fast, and furious hardcore formula perfectly. The high-octane output continues on In Place, Apart with the cuts "Critical Thought" and "Post Script," these tracks bare witness to the band's influences of Unbroken and Carry On.
But rather than remain a one-trick pony like many of their peers, Killing the Dream experiment with melodic moments throughout several of the tracks on In Place, Apart. Sometimes they throw in melodic riffs akin to Kid Dynamite, other times it is "spacey" interludes. The album's closer "Four Years Too Late" even has a slightly epic arrangement to its design. It's not exactly what you're used to hearing from your standard hardcore band. But then again Killing the Dream isn't your average hardcore band.
The album does contain several breakdown-savvy songs within its limits. "We're All Dead Ends" features an excellent sing-along/breakdown combination; "Writer's Block" ends with a breakdown that is reminiscent of the mid-90's NYC scene. All the different pieces of In Place, Apart meld together into what is the ideal combination of melodic and dissonant hardcore.
One look at the layout and it's no surprise to see Jacob Bannon's name in the liner notes. It's a good look, especially the inside pages, but it loosely resembles everything else he's done. I swear 90% of his designs incorporate skulls; the other 10% contain female figures. This has both.
In Place, Apart is exactly what I wanted to hear from Killing the Dream, but with a few extra surprises that make this album all the more sweet. If you haven't yet purchased a copy of this album, I suggest you do so post haste.
