Walls of Jericho: Redemption

After having shown the potential for transcending the repetitive, oversaturated sounds of American metalcore on their 2006 album With Devils Amongst Us All, Walls of Jericho have taken the next step towards shedding the tag for good on this interesting, five-track EP. Produced by Corey Taylor of Slipknot and Stone Sour notoriety (who in turn performs on three songs), Redemption follows the lead of Stone Sour, opting for a sullen, acoustic-based approach, and while it’s no more innovative than boring, one-chord metalcore breakdowns, the musical shift suits vocalist Candace Kucsulain very well. Previously known as one of the better female screamers in extreme music, she shows some excellent range on the EP, especially on the soul-baring “My Last Stand” and the predictable yet well-executed power ballad “No Saving Me”. For good measure, a decent cover of the Animals’ classic 1964 interpretation of “House of the Rising Sun” is tossed in, capping off a rather brave release by a band that’s ready to move on to a broader sound, and hopefully a wider audience.