Each Passing Moment Let Her Sleep No More

I'm not one to make the lazy assumption that metalcore has been taken to its limit based on the current state of the genre. While there are a virtual flood of new bands seemingly locked into a common formula, I'd like to think that there are a few out there looking to push boundaries and experiment. North Carolina's Each Passing Moment, however, is not one of them. Not to suggest we start judging books by their covers, but the esoteric band name, dramatic/allusionary titles, and standard album layout will probably help confirm your suspicions that this is indeed some fairly by-the-numbers metalcore. Cynicism aside, Each Passing Moment really aren't that bad at what they do. "Do You Know What Nemesis Means" kicks off the EP with a somewhat interesting At The Gates-esque riff and but unfortunately the song is bogged down by an ending consisting of a repetitive breakdown insterspersed with a speech from the movie Snatch. It's supposed to coincide with the revenge-themed lyrics but comes off as gimmicky and unnecessary rather than sincere. This is, unfortunately, a problem that plagues the entire album. The press sheet might suggest that the band creates "total rage, fury and devastation when they pick up their instruments", but I can't help feeling that they're holding back. I don't doubt that the band is passionate about what they're doing, it's just that the way they're doing it is putting a damper on genuine emotion being expressed through the music. They actually come closest to breaking free of genre constraints when they get really melodic, the first example being the Between the Buried and Me-like singing at the end of "The Philosophy of Suffering". It might come off as cheesy at first, but they seem to realize (I hope) that melody can be far more powerful than any breakdown or Gothenburg-style guitar line. "Sutures" is basically what saves this EP from the heap. While it doesn't start as anything special, about a minute in a melodic repeating riff is introduced, and and when met with some noodling and a typical ("forgive my bleeding heart") but memorable sing-a-long, turns out to be really, really catchy and thankfully makes up the meat of the song. This one part holds in it more creativity and energy than can be found anywhere else on the record and is, dare I say, quite awesome. Were the rest of it to follow suit, I would definitely be singing a different tune in this review. I'd like it if the band experimented with this style in the future, but we'll have to wait and see. The EP finishes off with "John Connor," whose technology-is-the-devil lyrics call to mind the sorely missed Maharahj. The song itself really doesn't go anywhere for a couple of minutes, but is actually livened up by a breakdown and a riff strangely reminiscent of a song on Bane's "Give Blood." This part of the song is unusually catchy and different from the rest of the EP. Again, melody and something new come in to save the day. The band phases it out, though, and ends the song with a generic breakdown sent against some really out of place synth work. I suppose I should mention that the band does indeed contain a keyboard player. His work is sparse but still does not add anything interesting or fitting to the music. The keyboards throughout sound pretty cheesy and sometimes ruin what could've been a somewhat interesting part of the song. Everything about this release is well done, technically speaking. The production is nice and clear and all instruments are played proficiently, while vocals clearly stand out above the mix. Lyrically we're in "meaningful but uninteresting" territory, unsurprising for this type of album. Vocalist Eric Stopka's delivery is not unlike that of Dave Walker (Harvest, Season of Fire) if higher-pitched and considerably less powerful. He sometimes switches things up to a low growl or a hardcore style shout that is surprisingly effective. Bottom Line: By no means is this terrible music, but "Let Her Sleep No More" is essentially a run of the mill metalcore record. Each Passing Moment does have potential, and I'd be interested in them further down the road if they expanded on the melodious aspects of this release, but this one just doesn't do it for me. If you're looking for a good source of Swedish style riffage, double bass, and copious breakdowns, look no further. I just can't help feeling that there will be no reason to remember these guys in a few years.