If you glance over the list of hardcore bands coming out of Cleveland over the years, you'll find that most of them are very heavy, and very pissed off. It's a nice change of pace then, to hear Our Resolve coming from Cleveland with an incredibly melodic sound. It's almost the polar opposite of everything before them.
Our Resolve's goal here seems simple. Play solid, fast, melodic hardcore and have fun doing it. It's upbeat and aggressive, but keeps with a sound similar to This is Our Revenge-era With Honor. Our Resolve's singer, Matt, calls to mind Ensign's Tim Shaw, with a shout so strained that it seems to match the desperation displayed in the music perfectly. When you listen to "A Step Ahead" and shouted vocals declare, "My heart is beating so fast, I can hardly catch my breath," you believe it.
"Ode To" is the shortest song on here, missing the 1:00 mark by two seconds. It's a short, fast burst of energy that gets its point across before you even realize the song is done. "Pushing Forward" starts off a mid-tempo cut, and then about forty seconds in the song seems to hit it's stride before slowing the tempo back down again. It's a refreshing finish to a demo full of fast tempos and quick riffs.
In five songs at nearly twenty minutes, Our Resolve has laid down an extremely competent display here. The recording doesn't sound sloppy or amateur at all. It's easy to fall in line with the countless other melodic bands out there. It really takes talent to be able to stand out, and Our Resolve does.
