A Day to Remember: For Those Who Have Heart

It seems Californian nü-punks A Day to Remember have stumbled upon something new with For Those Who Have Heart. No, really. They achieve this sound through crossover: mixing death metal grunts with the brash melodies of pop-punk — much more exciting that it appears on paper. Churning, toothy thrash and growling vocals dominate “Speak of the Devil” until processed ‘aahs’ kick into hyperdrive for the sugar-sweet chorus. “The Plot to Bomb the Panhandle” has a Green Day sensibility to it, and the music itself is fitted together with class and precision by drummer Alex Shelnutt, in possession of the best chops in recent memory. So the lyrics aren’t exactly high art; “This town ain’t big enough for the both of us, so get ready to run / …This goes to show how little you really know about the way things are / Watch your step / This place can chew you up and spit you out”, accuses “Start the Shooting”, but shortcomings such as those aren’t worrying when everything’s thrown out with such high energy. It’s an album that’s going to leave pop-punk fans scratching their heads, but starting mosh pits everywhere it goes, so don’t be caught dead ignoring A Day to Remember.