For those unaccustomed to Eulogy's brand of blistering, pummeling hardcore, This Day Forward serves up a battered example like no other. Nothing pretentious here -- these guys relentlessly go for the jugular on every track, with their unique crunchy melodic screamcore style. The screamcore tag refers to the painful vocal onslaught that drives each song. Yet, TDF has a hidden weapon with screamer Mike Shaw, as both he and the other band members are not afraid to show their more sensitive melodic side through the use of interspersed emo vocals and melodic guitar passages, bringing to mind older Cave-In, Poison the Well, Shadow's Fall, or other equally dynamic bands. The lyrics are intelligent, filled with turmoil and conviction, and the layout is so classy it camouflages the album, appearing to be a melodic hardcore emo act, but the strength of TDF lies in the band's musicianship and aggression. The brutal "End of August" starts off with a quasi-Boy Sets Fire melody, before switching gears into mountain-crushing deathcore (à la "Until Your Heart Stops" era Cave-In). The following track, "The Effects of Departure From Ideal Proportions," builds momentum under a strange Carbonized-style bass riff, before it crescendos into a tortuous screamfest. Musically, the album has a real indie rock feel at times, yet Shaw's screaming vocals never let the album get too friendly. Still, melody presides throughout the entire album. Whether Shaw's shrills are a positive is up to the listener to determine, for the music stays solid and tenacious, the integrity of the band is never compromised, and the whole release is consistently delectable from beginning to end. Eulogy may be a newer label, but they will be around for a long time if they keep breeding bands this amazing in the future. Recommended to all brutal hardcore fans, and to those who especially love Poison the Well, Red Roses for a Blue Lady, Unearth, or bands of similar stature.