So crowded is the melodic metalcore scene of the mid-2000s, and therefore so interchangeable many of its acts, that
Life in Your Way's release of a sophomore album is already something the Connecticut quintet should be proud of. But there's naturally quite a bit more on 2005's
Ignite and Rebuild that's worth crowing about, not least of which the imaginative ways in which the band reshuffle what are essentially beat-to-death genre songwriting devices to come up with instantly memorable material. "Light in Mine," for instance, contrasts what could be primal scream therapy (furiously repeating "You leave me speechless!") with an upbeat melodic guitar coda worthy of power pop; "More Than Efforts" snaps out of its aggressive advance for a gentle child's lullaby midway through; and "Evident" simply makes utmost use of dynamic slower riffing. Of course the band's inexorable drive can largely be traced back to their devout Christian faith, which they continually address here through lyrics both literal (outright prayers such as "Threads of Sincerity" and "When Rules Change") and more tangential (the apocalypse-referencing "This, the Midnight Fight," the simple call to action of "The Change"). But for those who aren't religiously inclined, it should be noted that these qualities rarely get in the way of the album's value as entertainment for entertainment's sake; and though it barely advances the melodic metalcore blueprint,
Ignite and Rebuild offers an enjoyable and immediate example of the genre. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia