Band:	Emmure
Album:	Look At Yourself
Style:	Metalcore
Release date:	March 03, 2017
Guest review by:	omne metallum

01. You Asked For It
02. Shinjuku Masterlord
03. Smokey
04. Natural Born Killer
05. Flag Of The Beast
06. Ice Man Confessions
07. Russian Hotel Aftermath
08. Call Me Ninib
09. Major Key Alert
10. Turtle In A Hare Machine
11. Torch
12. Derelict
13. Gucci Prison

"You Asked For It"

Oh boy, you certainly did. By pressing play on Look At Yourself, you unleash an album that talks loud but has little to really say. Like a toothless dog on a leash, Emmure look like they offer up a vicious sonic threat but ultimately once you actually get up close and pay attention, you realize that there is little behind appearances.

Emmure seemingly take the route of "any attention is good attention", and so litter the album with lyrics and vocal lines designed to either make you point out to others how derisory they are or prompt listeners into a knee-jerk social media-esque response of "You ok hun?". Aiming his ire either at women, the world, detractors, supposed wannabes or himself, each song is a means to attack certain targets.

Does this tactic make for a good album? Ask yourself, if you heard someone screaming and raving randomly in the street, would you walk away or get closer? Those who walk closer will more than likely come to regret their decision, while those who walked away can save their eardrums for another day.

It's hard to pick out and judge songs on their own individual merit as they often blend into one loud mess, with only some guitar lines or Palmeri's change of target distinguishing one from the other. It becomes somewhat redundant to show as an example of what the band does wrong, as the album can be tarred easily with the same brush with only three minor exceptions.

"Shinjuku Masterlord", "Flag Of The Beast" and "Torch" are probably the only tracks I'd return to (if at all) from the album; they float to the top of this mess and can be identified as having some kind of quality above the rest of the album. "Shinjuku Masterlord" features some fast-paced vocal delivery that does catch your attention and lead you through an okay instrumental track, while "Flag Of The Beast" is probably the only time the band's M.O. works. "Torch" sees the band take an exceedingly small step out of the monotonous sound the album has settled into.

The album is well produced, Fulk gives the album the crushing sound that it needs and complements the music well. The only element that is lost is the bass, but given most songs sound like a bull in a china shop, it would be hard to see what the bass could offer. Travis' guitar work is probably the best element of the album; while not reinventing the wheel, he does craft some good parts that will give you a break from the lyrics if you require them.

Have a housemate or person in your life you wish to torture? Look no further than this, apart from that you do find yourself asking the question posed to you by the album, Look At Yourself and ask why you are listening to this.