Send "Of Mice & Men " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Ultimate-guitar |
 Of Mice & Men have been through hell and back between full lengths. First came the departure of vocalist Austin due to conflicts with part of the band. He was then replaced by Jerry Roush (formerly of Sky Eats Airplane) took over vocals, leaving a sense of emptiness in the band. It was announced earlier this year that Jerry was out and Austin was back, with a new guitarist and some passionate fuel for the fire that would become OM&M's second effort, "The Flood". This album is so far away from the original in ways, yet sounds like familiar territory with Austin's screams, Jaxin's croony cleans, and the bands southern metalcore vibe. Songs like "Still YDG'N" and "Ben Threw" are laiden with bouncy breakdowns and catchy melody lines, while "Let Live" plays more like a modern rock radio single. "My Understandings" is the biggest surprise this album has to throw at you, with it's laid back, melodic feel that caught me truly off guard. The disk, in my eyes, has no visible musical flaws, and is a very enjoyable instrumental listen for fans of the metalcore/post-hardcore genre...full text |
| Absolutepunk |
| With all the drama that emerged with each news post throughout the past year, it'd be easy to think of Of Mice & Men as more of a bad reality show than an actual band. After playing musical chairs with their lineup, original lead man Austin Carlile was back with a new friend, guitarist Alan Ashby (he was previously collaborating on Carlile's then solo adventure). Armed with familiar faces and new outlook on their friendship and music, Of Mice & Men hope that, instead of lengthy twitter and tumblr rants, their second album, The Flood, does the majority of talking in 2011. On first listen, you can sense that Carlile and company are re-energized and hellbent on proving their haters wrong. Really, The Flood can be described as a “re-imagining” of their debut album. The quintet took the best parts of that album and either made them more aggressive or more melodic to cover up any monotony. Did I mention that this record was aggressive? The first two tracks on The Flood, “O.G. Loko” and “Ben Threw” feature some furious guitar work from Ashby and Phil Manansala, while Carlile's well-known howl leaves its mark. Bassist Shayley Bourget continues as the band's clean vocalist, and his voice is the highpoint of the catchy “Let Live.” The dynamic chemistry between Carlile's screams and Bourget's cleans is what separates The Flood from the majority of their peers. The band loses some steam in the middle of The Flood, as they fall victim to generic-core with the by-the-numbers formula of “Still YDG'n,” while “My Understandings” and “Purified” sound like they should be on the new Bullet For My Valentine album. I commend the band for shooting for something outside of their comfort zone, but they are much better when they amp up the energy, such as on the vicious “Ohioisonfire” and the quick yet devastating closer “I'm A Monster.”...full text |
| Bringonmixedreviews |
| After Austin Carlile dropped a huge stone into the pond of Attack Attack!, leaving to found the SoCo post-hardcore outfit, Of Mice & Men — choosing an inconspicuous band name for him and co-founder Jaxin Hall (bassist) after their life plans went awry — the band released their self-titled debut album, garnering a fan base from their eccentric live shows and hard-hitting riffs. After a departure for heart surgery in 2010, Austin rejoined the group and recorded their new album “The Flood,” with well known producer Joey Strugis once again — as listeners wait to see if this album can live up to the bands past and present promises. For those immediately concerned, “The Flood” is a solid sophomore effort and another pummeling mixture of metalcore riffs and barking shouts, as well as soulful singing and melodic guitar arrangements. Like Of Mice & Men‘s peers Attack Attack! and Sleeping With Sirens, the boys have amped up their game with this second record, both in terms of production and additional sheer brutality. Noticed early on are the battering chugs and visceral shouty growls of “O.G. Loko” and “Ben Threw,” both served with a small helping of clean vocal duality and fret harmony. The first few tracks shock and awe the listener, setting a tone that doesn’t lose steam the entire way through, even with the comparing sides dueling it out between verses and choruses — much like the even-handed track “Let Live” and its tranquil bridge, which never loses sight of the cleanly produced paradigm it wishes to follow....full text |
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