There was a time when I thought that Prepare to be Let Down was never going to be released. The album was slated to come out via 1917 Records before the band and label amicably agreed to go their separate ways. Well, after a brief stint without a label, Ruiner have finally brought Prepare to be Let Down to the masses.
Right off the bat, I can definitely say that Ruiner has shifted their sound a bit on their debut full-length. The songs from their previous effort, What Could Possibly Go Right
bit of My Love, My Way. And while I probably couldn't take another Modern Life is War clone right now, I can't say the direction of these new songs is all too appealing either.
The vast majority of the songs on Prepare to be Let Down are fueled by fast-paced drumming, muddy basslines, and frenzied guitars. Where as before Ruiner fell more towards the melodic side of hardcore, nowadays they have shifted their focus to almost a metal-tinged punk sound. And with Rob Sullivan's throaty yells and dismal lyrical approach, the full recipe combines for a dark and brooding hardcore album.
Songs like "That Stone Better be on Fire" and "Repetition" are pretty ace the riffs are crisp and feature some nice change-ups in the pace and structure. But these stylistic differences are few and far between with the vast majority of the songs following the same formulaic ways. If you were a fan of the band's previous releases than "When the Mourning Ends" and "Kiss that Motherfucker Goodnight" are probably your best bets. They fall closest to the band's last release, with the building guitar sequences while Sullivan spews his frustration all over the songs' landscape.
With their debut full-length Ruiner have made it easy for some reviewers. Rather than writing a full review of the album, all some reviewers will have to do is simply write, "See title." While I can't 100% agree with reviewers that end up taking that easy way out, I have to agree that a good portion of this album is a letdown when compared to their previous output.
