Let's face it. It's hard these days to find good hardcore/metal. With so many bands emerging that fuse these two styles together with some level of success, it could cause one to become even more of a critic when checking out a band new to said listener. Such is the case with Scars of Tomorrow. "The Horror of Realization" is the band's sophomore release on Victory Records, and while it's not a bad album, it's not really anything groundbreaking in the way of solid hardcore/metal.
All the elements one would expect are here. Fairly strong vocals (a definite up-side), decent guitar parts, and solid drumming are evident throughout. There is a problem though, and it is common among any band of a certain genre who fails to do something groundbreaking or noticeable. Even with the solid parts in this album, it still fails to do anything new, per se. The guitar riffs are somewhat foreseeable, and when the vocals go from a scream to singing, you can usually see it coming. While there are hints here of former label predecessors Earth Crisis, Strife, and Integrity, Scars of Tomorrow don't seem to be out to break any molds. I'm sure they would get the crowd moving at a show, and they do make you want to go off on occasion, but overall, they fail to deliver the punch necessary to make this an album that could stand the test of time.
2/4
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