With Bury Your Dead, Full Blown Chaos,
and Premonitions of War.
Although metal and hardcore vocalists try to evoke pain or anger with every howl, too many insist on flat, uniform lyrics. If you're going to be screaming all the time, you may as well show enough real emotion to make the audience scream along. Self-pity and self-absorbed rage just aren't going to cut it. Luckily, metalcore quintet Walls of Jericho has had the sense to find its ire in a broader social context and to create a very real sense of repression, claustrophobia and hopelessness. Lead singer Candace Kucsulain isn't afraid to let down her guard and show actual hurt, either. It's a bold move that makes songs such as "There's No I in Fuck You" hit even harder. Beyond the talents of Kucsulain, the band manages to make its obvious Slayer influences sound fresh. Hell, not even Slayer can claim that.
