Send "The Color Morale " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Absolutepunk |
 It’s been about a year since The Color Morale released their debut album, We All Have Demons, and they’re already back with their second full length, My Devil In Your Eyes. So it’d be natural to think that this album would be full of second-rate or hastily put together follow-up tracks. But that thought should be immediately discarded once you hear the 10 new tracks from the Rockford, Illinois, quintet. Determined not to become a flash-in-the-pan in the metalcore scene, the band improved on all their skills immensely. My Devil In Your Eyes is relentless throughout, starting from the opening licks of “Nerve Endings” to the closing eeriness of “fill;avoid.” In between is a band that has found their groove. The Color Morale doesn't offer anything new within this genre; they just do it very well. On their second go-around, the production is a lot cleaner and the transitions move a lot smoother. A prime example is “Human(s)being,” which shows off the improved musicianship from each member, specifically drummer Steve Carey and vocalist Garret Rapp. Carey absolutely possesses the kit on this track and beyond, while Rapp delivers one of the better performances you'll hear in the genre during 2011. Rapp seamlessly transitions between clean and rough vocals, delivering poignant lines like, “I am not afraid to die/I am terrified of life.” And let's not forget guitarists Ramon Mendoza and John Bross. They effortlessly combine chugging riffs with Rapp's gruff vocals on “The Dying Hymn,” while show off their technical chops in the pulverizing “Be Longing Always.” Another thing that stands out is that The Color Morale doesn't stay stagnant in one style for too long. They show off their melodic side with “Walkers,” then immediately channel The Chariot on the frantic “Demon Teeth.”...full text |
| Lostinthesound |
| When we think of the more prominent names in the metalcore scene, we think of bands like Underoath, As I Lay Dying, and The Devil Wears Prada. Five-piece metalcore/post-hardcore group from Rockford, Illinois, The Color Morale, is definitely a name that does not comes to mind. As a part of the infamous Rise Records roster, The Color Morale has struggled to make a name for themselves and stick out amongst the plethora of similar band emerging, even with their debut record We All Have Demons displaying a step in the right direction for the band. With their second Rise release titled My Devil In Your Eyes, The Color Morale takes this established sound, and push it a little bit further. As the low growls of Garret Rapp in opener "Nerve Endings" commences the album, Devil starts off on a rather dull note as the hectic screaming along with much unfavored chugging guitars plainly crawl along, and then transitioning into a rather predictable melodic song section. Devil stays true to this trend throughout the first frew tracks. Flat chugging accompanoied by monotonous screams and sudden shifts to melodic singing and guitar-work. "Human(s)being" resembles an awkward Bullet For My Valentine knock-off while the common structure and overall derivative sound of "Be Longing Always," makes for a rather tedious listen. It is not until track five that the album starts to pick up, and The Color Morale sport their true colors. "Walkers" sets the pace for the rest of the album as the interesting guitar lines of Ramon Mendoza and John Bross entice the listener, and the charismatic vocal delivery of Rapp keeps the attention of more casual listeners. "Demon Teeth" unleashes a raw intensity and delivers a certain heaviness that The Color Morale are able of accomplishing while "This Lost Song is Yours" showcases well-developed melodies accompanied by a strong singing performance by Rapp. A strong mixture of intensity and resonance makes for a variety of enjoyable songs that makes up the latter half of this album, leading up to the soft, slow closer. "fill;avoid" ceases the album in a rather strange fashion as Rapp repeats the line "You made me from dust, and not dirt" over and over (and over and over and over) again. As calm programming backs the soft vocals all the way to the end, "fill;avoid," I believe, is aptly named as it adds nothing but filler, killing the mood of what was a momentous album....full text |
| Thenewreview |
| The Color Morale, to me, was a good band. Good, but not great. Their first album, We All Have Demons, wasn’t really anything ground-breaking or spectacular, but it has a certain quality that made it appealing. It could be vocalist Garret Rapp’s incredible cleans contrast with his dirty growls backed by incredibly concise instrumentals and some inventive riffs. Bottom line, We All Have Demons was nothing genre-defining, but it made me look at a band I had never heard before and say “these guys are gonna churn out some good stuff in the future.” The future is now! Now, looking past my flamboyant dramaticism, The Color Morale’s second studio album, My Devil In Your Eyes has been anticipated by many people, myself included. The songs they released off the album presented a band with a more mature sound, exceptionally catchy guitar riffs, back-breaking breakdowns (did the way I phrase that seem redundant?) and incredible dual vocals leading into some of the best hooks I have heard in post-hardcore. Opening with “Nerve Endings,” My Devil In Your Eyes starts off with a bang. Although the first track is not even remotely close to being the best track on the album, it’s a perfect example of the band’s new found maturity and showcases the metamorphosis they went through in terms of sound. Lead singer Garret Rapp’s growls are even lower and grittier than in We All Have Demons, and his cleans will blow you out of the water. Hitting all the notes, his range is vastly improved since the band’s debut album. And those listeners who have an aversion toward effeminate vocals, calm yourselves, for Rapp manages to maintain his dignity throughout the album. The next three songs on the album, “Human(s)beings,” “The Dying Hymn,” and “Be Longing Always” are the three tracks the band has already released, and don’t drop the pace. “The Dying Hymn” opens with an amazing guitar riff, and it’s incredible to be able to hear bass in the background, skillfully played by Justin Hieser. Don’t get me wrong, he’s no Ryan Martinie (of Mudvayne fame) or Luke Williams (The Arusha Accord) but the amount of bands that completely ignore bass guitar is astounding, so it’s nice to be able to hear some in The Color Morale’s new effort....full text |
The Color Morale lyrics
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