Rose Funeral - 'The Resting Sonata'

Modern deathcore that is competently done, but lacks any originality to stand out in the genre.

With The Resting Sonata, the five young guys from Ohio have crafted a by-the-books deathcore album. There are sparks of creativity from time to time, but for most part, The Resting Sonata gets by on sheer brutality and an excessive use of breakdowns that the genre is well-known for.

Every song has at least two breakdowns, leading the album to become monotonous and stagnant by its conclusion. A few solos break their way through the wall of sound imposed by the steady rhythm section, but the guitarists tend to stick to the one-note breakdowns like a musical crutch throughout the album.

While stumbling a bit in the beginning, The Resting Sonata does pick back up for a satisfying ending. The Iron Maiden-meets-Black Dahlia Murder “Embalming The Masses,” and the epic closer “Dawning The Resurrection Verse II,” which features an effective thrash breakdown, close the album out on a high note. Vocalist Tim Russell gets to show off his wide range on the closer, hitting a pitch-perfect falsetto, alongside his mix of harsh barks and deep growls.

The Resting Sonata will be a hit among the younger crowd, who praise modern deathcore bands like Whitechapel and Suicide Silence. Those looking for variety or a change of pace will not find anything of the sort on Rose Funeral’s sophomore album. The breakdowns are too frequent and the songwriting leans towards the repetitious side. Rose Funeral plays it safe on The Resting Sonata, and it shows in the final product.