Piano and synth slowly build, drums (James Cassells) are added, and finally the full force of guitar (Ben Bruce and Cameron Liddell), bass (Sam Bettley), and screams (Danny Worsnop) complete the intro track “Welcome”. Then “Dear Insanity” kicks in and knocks you off your feet with a hard-hitting onslaught of Worsnop’s growl and Bruce’s and Liddell’s dual guitar work. As the chorus starts, we get a taste of Worsnop’s cleans, and you quickly learn that he’s got a great set of pipes. We get the first real dose of the electronic side of things as “Closure” opens up with a catchy synth intro. The synth quickly gives way to the guitar and drums. Danny’s cleans aren’t the only part of his vocal repertoire with range, though. He throws everything from deep guttural growls up to blood-curdling high screams. “A Lesson Never Learned” opens with a breakdown that’s got some speed to it. They let the synth run a little wilder on this song, and it works extremely well. Once again, Danny’s vocals truly impress me with the amount of emotion he is able to put behind them. “To The Stage” is a fairly standard metalcore piece, but standard is ok when it’s done this well. “Dedication” slows things down as Danny begins to talk over a synth heavy background. This normally comes across as extremely tacky, but Asking Alexandria manages to pull it off.
Without missing a beat, “Someone Somewhere” picks things up where “Dedication” left off. They let melody and clean vocals dominate this track, and it’ll have you singing along in no time. “Breathless” has an absolutely crushing metalcore feel to it. Worsnop lets his low growls take the lead on the verses before giving listeners a reprieve on the chorus. “The Match” doesn’t stray too far from the formula used in the previous track. With what almost feels like a punk intro, “Another Bottle Down” transitions into a melodic metalcore track with some classic rock influences sprinkled throughout. The title track opens up with some atmospheric synth and guitars that slowly fade in before they move back to the metalcore/post-hardcore brand that they play so well. Asking Alexandria close things out with “Morte Et Dabo”. A choir opens things up, but quickly fades down as these English metallers finish things with a bang.
Stand Up and Scream was not a bad album. However, Asking Alexandria have grown considerably since their debut. The song content is much more thought provoking and the musicianship is top notch. Be sure to pick up Reckless and Relentless.
