Even-more-essence or Evanescence revisited; brand the band as you may, there is more to Flyleaf’s familiar sounds that skirt along the edges of metal anguish and religious rock.

Every once in a while groups emerge to form part of a collective that varies from checking off the criteria of an existing genre to form sub-genres, commonly abbreviated to reference their origins, with recent examples nu-metal and emo-screamo leading the charge. The result is a sound that lends itself to increased commercial viability, and Flyleaf’s self-titled debut is no exception, making it initially difficult to resist the temptation to draw comparisons to artists like Evanescence who have historically enjoyed great crossover radio success.

Fronted by angst-driven vocalist Lacey Mosley, the quintet who owe their origins to Belton, Texas USA, embark on the worthy enterprise to forge an identity of their own, and to this end, Mosley shows a vocal dexterity equal to that of Amy Lee, yet the definite Christian overtones in tracks like “Fully Alive” can concurrently confuse the band with the likes of Barlow Girl. The sound is un-intrusive yet aggressive, with Mosley’s vocal tones equally wild as they are sweet helping create an essential balance to carve out a unique niche in an evolving sub-genre.

“I’m So Sick” opens the account with a heavy thud that cuts out the peaks and troughs of a soundwave analogous to the emotive content of the album’s subsequent tracks, serving as a worthy prologue.  This melodic evolution glides along the tracks like a metallic roller-coaster driven to heights by the emotive energy demonstrated in “Breathe Today” with throat-tearing background vocals fuelling the band’s raw appeal. And after achieving the most of its heavy sounds, the Flyleaf coaster steers its audience towards heavy-hearted yearning in tracks like “All Around Me” and “So I Thought”.

Flyleaf provides a host of melodic elements carefully crafted together to help certify that its songs don’t fade into the background, ensuring they avoid falling victim to the same fate met by many similar bands whose tracks can be mirror-images of each other. Mosley's voice cultivates a charm that is as raw as it is refined, with her gravely screams packing a heavy wallop on the ear drums; a potency matched in emotional punch as the heartfelt ballad-like placidity delivered in “There For You”, making for listening that is as conducive to reminiscence as it is similar to offerings by Evanescence.

There is much on offer here to satisfy the appetite of fans of the genre, whether that is nu-metal, alt-metal or Christ-metal, and enough essence to avoid neatly falling into the category of replica artist. An impressive debut offering that lives up to an ambitious undertaking.

Rating: 3 shiny metallic Stars.

tracklisting:

1. I'm So Sick
2. Fully Alive
3. Perfect
4. Cassie
5. Sorrow
6. I'm Sorry
7. All Around Me
8. Red Sam
9. There For You
10. Breathe Today
11. So I Thought
12. Fully Alive (Acoustic)
13. All Around Me (Acoustic)