Evermourn's teenage members might have come of age during the nü-metal era, but they're no children of the Korn. Rap-rock bands betrayed their aggro ancestors by jettisoning the awe-inspiring solo. "Tears of the Seraphim," a tune from Evermourn's unabashedly virtuosic debut disc, displays more fret-frying brilliance before the first verse than most entire albums from Ozzfest acts. Ax masters Tim Long and J.P. Gaughan intertwine their melodies so tightly that it's easy to imagine their strings tangling, and Derek Thompson's gruff low-end vocals give these headbanger-throwback tracks a modern hardcore feel. The rhythm section sets the pace at a steady gallop rather than an incoherent blur, and the guitar harmonies march in lockstep. In these smartly structured songs, the ultrastylish solos are complementary components, not isolated attractions.
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