Look at Yourself

Personnel: Frank Palmeri (vocals); Josh Travis (guitar); Josh Miller (drums).
Audio Mixer: Wzrd Bld.
Look at Yourself is the American extreme metal unit's seventh studio LP and first outing since the departures of Mark Davis, Jesse Ketive, Mike Mulholland, and Adam Pierce; basically the entire band sans controversy magnet/frontman Frankie Palmeri. Instead of jumping ship, Palmeri enlisted an entirely new (and seasoned) crew that included ex-Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza bassist Phil Lockett, Glass Cloud drummer Josh Miller, and Glass Cloud and former TDTE guitarist Josh Travis. Such a shock to the system -- Look at Yourself also saw the band move from Victory Records to Sharptone -- might send most groups reeling, but one of Emmure's greatest strengths as a band (or brand, considering the caliber of the shake-up) has been its unwillingness to compromise, both sonically and lyrically. Oddly enough, the resulting 13-track set is their most confident-sounding to date, with Palmeri carving his usual swath of rap-to-roar carnage over an aural assault that's delivered with extreme prejudice. Big, dissonant, and relentless, standout cuts like "Flag of the Beast," "Russian Hotel Aftermath," and "Torch" double down on the band's penchant for pairing old-school, culturally uncool nu-metal posturing with seismic, breakdown-laden hardcore. It's a formula that's easy to hate on from afar, but strapped into a pair of headphones, it's a much different story. Look at Yourself certainly doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it would probably make the act of rolling your monster truck over a fleet of motor homes even more exciting. ~ James Christopher Monger