Right off the bat, it's easy for fans of hardcore to see which bands have had an influence on
Life in Your Way. Acts such as
Poison the Well,
Thursday, and
Strongarm have definitely played a role in shaping the band's sound on this album. The formula is pretty much the same as the aforementioned acts, but not nearly as strong.
Life in Your Way is definitely sincere in the creation and performance of its music, but sometimes does so to the point of seeming to overdo it. One can only scream in the same tone and use the same delicate-then-harsh guitar break so long before it seems a bit contrived. Not to mention that the band's style may have been cutting-edge back in the mid- to late '90s, but in the early part of the 2000s, it seemed ancient by musical standards. While the music is played proficiently, it seems as if there are just too many missing pieces to make this a stellar album. ~ Kurt Morris