In the pantheon of popular music, there are likely thousands of albums yearly that are critically acclaimed. This is also counting regional music that might only be popular to a small group of people. Whittling that down, especially for the most diverse music lover, may prove to be very difficult. It certainly is in our case, so that makes the fact that We Are Alive Beyond Repair is sure to be on our top 100 list a truly great album.
To be short, this is a fantastic, impactful album that deserves to be heard by just about everyone. Gatherers are particular good at making a more traditional melodic hardcore sound (think More Than Life) and filling it with more melody and post-rock influenced passages. This mashup of sounds provides for something that comes across as very unique and likable.
“Tape”, one of the most interesting tracks on this album, shows Gatherers really spreading their wings with some Deftones-esque driving passages. This is a daring risk that shows the band going through their obvious influences in a unique way that makes the listener feel like they’re floating on air. Combine that with a song like “Infinity And Gloom” that quite honestly reminds me of modern Deftones being filtered through a modern post-hardcore lens. I realize that’s high praise, but it’s also accurate.
I sincerely hope that, if you’re reading this, you give this band a chance. Know Movements? Sure you do – the California alt-rock band went from just getting signed to headlining their own tours in just a few years. Gatherers’ new album will likely have that kind of impact, too. In the span of just 33 minutes, this bright new post-hardcore band is very likely to be a new favorite. We Are Alive Beyond Repair stands high on the current “wave” of bands like Casey, Movements, and the defunct State Faults. You may not hear a better album from this genre all year.
