Then It Ends Delivers a Solid Debut Album Posted September 25, 2020 By RyanAdams_NRT, Staff Reviewer
What You Need To Know With members consisting of former bands in the Iowa metalcore and death metal music scene, a new band rises from the ashes: Then It Ends. They recently released their debut album, Restored. Their goal: to change lives across the world. The independent band has a passion to write scripturally sound and musically heavy music.
What It Sounds Like Then It Ends is a hardcore-infused metalcore band, with death metal influence. Musically, you can expect blast beats, breakdowns, satisfying clean vocals, plus intense screams and growls on Restored. I expect Then It Ends to have enough vocal and musical talent to reach fans of a wide range of music tastes, especially in the heavy music scene. I like how most choruses have a conversational structure, instead of a few repeated lines of lyrics. Also, the instrumentation is constantly amped-up, even on expectantly lighter parts of the songs. So, don't expect them to give you a sweet, soft ballad, however, there is an instrumental track, "Silence."
Spiritual Highlights Then It Ends proclaims biblical truths while sharing relatable messages. Restored tackles subjects such as addiction, selfishness and pride, as well as mental struggles. "Depravity" paraphrases the convicting biblical truth from Jeremiah 17:9, with lead singer Grant Lilly screaming, "No one is good, no one will seek/it's my heart, my heart is deceived!" The solid opener sets the pace for the rest of the album. A struggle that many Christians face is the dichotomy between our selfish desires and God's holy desires. "Kingdom" and "Restored" tackle this struggle—with hope at the core.
"Welcome Home" addresses questions we have about life's fragility. As Christians, we try to live the best life we can on earth but realize that death means life with Jesus. "Desperate" is a humble, yet powerful, declaration of surrender. It's an exemplary closer to the album, with Grant shouting out, "We surrender all we have to you/Our pride, our selfishness, our greed, the hate, the passiveness that ruins our lives."
Best Song There are several standout tracks on Restored, including "Depravity," "Addiction," and my favorite, "Kingdom." There is a wide range of unclean vocals—screams and growls—and quality singing from Grant. The high-energy, skilled musicianship holds the entire project together.
In "Kingdom," any fan of heavy music will find something to enjoy: music and lyrics. The song is about how we often try to be the god of our own lives but we experience the truth (we will always fail at that job). Instead, we can admit, as Grant humbly does, "I'm just a man, a failure, set me free/Fill up my heart, fill up my lungs/to be a different man than what I've become."
Bottom Line Restored has a refreshingly welcoming sound in the heavy metal scene—particularly thanks to the biblically-influenced, honest, and real lyrics. There is some lyrical writing that does not flow as well as it could. And, a few unclean vocal spots sound unclear. Otherwise, the vocals are superb, with impressive singing, screams, and growls—especially for a debut. The musicianship is tight and satisfyingly heavy throughout the album, enough to deserve to be in the ranks of long-time, signed bands. Restored is a great debut for Then It Ends with promising potential.
