Album Review: As Everything Unfolds - Within Each Lies The Other

Late in 2019, I found myself in an unfamiliar position. I was listening to the debut album from Dream State, a group that could be described as post-hardcore, and I loved what I was hearing. In fact, that record was runner-up for Album Of The Year, despite the fact that I don't know if I had ever enjoyed anything with the word 'hardcore' in any way attached to it. Perhaps I had some residual affection for Life Of Agony's "River Runs Red", but you get what I'm saying. It was out of character to be enjoying this new, modern take on a sound I had no interest in. Those surprises are what makes the search for new music a noble endeavor.

As Everything Unfolds has a lot of that same spirit in their music. Also an English post-hardcore band, they call themselves "hope for the hopeless and joy for the joyless." In talking about both Dream State then, and Yours Truly last year, I noted how music that tried to be uplifting and get us through the darkness and towards something better has stronger appeal now than ever before. As Everything Unfolds, if they can pull that off, will only add to the pile of music that can keep us from falling further.

What the two bands have in common is a format that modernizes metalcore. Often, these songs go through heavy verses with screaming and distorted vocals, before opening up into powerful melodic choruses. But instead of taking cues from thrash and melodic death metal, they are using hardcore and emo as their basis. They aim to use emotional heaviness along with instrumental heaviness to forge a deeper connection to the listener.

The heavy parts where the drums are pounding and the vocals scream express the rage that has built up everywhere in recent times, but when the choruses come, we aren't simply getting melodies for the sake of melodies. Nor is the band trying to write obvious stage anthems. No, what they are doing is giving us an emotional outlet. Charlie Rolf is trying to pour her heart out as she sings these songs, and that effort comes through the speakers. You can hear when people care about what they're doing.

The difference between Dream State and As Everything Unfolds is where on the curve they are coming from. Dream State's music is more on the upswing, when you defiantly are fighting back against your demons. As Everything Unfolds is closer to the bottom, where you think you are rounding the corner, but you are still filling the cracks between the pieces you have put back in place. That means As Everything Unfolds' music is a bit more subdued, lacking the anthemic songs that you can pull out to be your theme song to get through the next trial. Instead, "Within Each Lies The Other" is to be taken as an album. It sets a tone and mood, and delivers an entire album that supports the thesis. Two different approaches, but both successful.

As Everything Unfolds can be a draining listen, but in the good sense. They put themselves through the wringer for this music, and what it stirs up can be a lot to handle. That's in stark contrast to albums that are hard to listen to because of the intense boredom they evoke. "Within Each Lies The Other" isn't the sort of album you listen to in the background without thinking about. It's an album you feel, and when that's what you want to do, they've accomplished something impressive.