Band:	Exes For Eyes
Album:	The Amsler Grid
Style:	Metalcore
Release date:	April 26, 2011
A review by:	Doc G.

01. Feel Again
02. A Life So Unfulfilling
03. Exes For Eyes
04. Romanticize The Struggle
05. Stop Thinking, Start Feeling
06. Embrace The Fire
07. Chains
08. Dig for Higher Ground
09. A Horrible Mistake

You can't always judge a band by it's name. Occasionally you can, though, and occasionally (in fact, surprisingly more time than not), you'll wind up with a fairly accurate prediction. Exes For Eyes? Kinda crappy name. Music? Not "crappy" per se, but still not all that impressive. "Bro-core" is a definition that comes to mind while listening to this. Despite the fact that it doesn't seem like their main prerogative, Exes For Eyes just comes across as another chest-beating, tough-guy shout-fest.

Fortunately, part of the reason it doesn't stand out all that much is that it's not atrocious. Hardcore like this generally pushes the lyrical themes down your throat whether you give a shit or not, and Exes For Eyes luckily puts some thought into what they write. Had this been another bone-headed creation in league with Winds Of Plague, you would be reading a far more negative review. Hell, you probably wouldn't even be reading a review, as I wouldn't have given this band the time of day.

Once again, this is another group that probably has (or will find) a strong following based on their consistently pounding riffs. They are of the mid-paced earth shaking variety, so yeah, they write some damn heavy down-tuned music, I'll give them that. However, the whole thing seems to lack substance. Once you get over the crushing bottom-end that is The Amsler Grid, there really isn't much left - making this another one-shot listen.

They clearly have their vision, they seem to know what they're doing. All the power to them. Making themselves a little less one-dimensional wouldn't do them any harm, though.