As soon as that’s over, however, Fighting Gravity takes things in the opposite direction. Its 21st century pop aesthetic still contains some crunching riffs, but without those it could almost pass for chart fodder. Then comes the title-track. The best of the three new songs, it’s an evenly balanced mix of heavy and melodic that once again demonstrates just how well OM&M have got their formula nailed down. They’re not breaking any new ground, but they do what they do consistently well.
The last track is a cover of Helplessly Hoping by folk rock supergroup Crosby, Stills & Nash. It turns the unsettling poignancy of the original into an Auto-Tuned lament that turns up the melancholy significantly, while the layered, mechanical drone of the vocals replicate the uneasiness of the 1969 version. It also sounds nothing like Of Mice & Men. That’s not a bad thing, but it makes its inclusion surprising, to say the least. Unless OM&M plan on becoming a folk group after this. Stranger things have happened.
Verdict: 3/5
For fans of: We Came As Romans, Architects, Beartooth
Echo is released on December 3 via Nuclear Blast