Fresh off the Soundcloud link that has been emailed to me is the debut album Change/Evolve by Auckland three-piece Armed In Advance. I have been waiting for a hard rock album to sink my teeth into and AIA have provided 10 tracks of sonic goodness.
Straight off the bat the album comes out swinging with the debut track – Running You Down. It’s got the hooks, the riffs and delivers on all fronts. For a three piece band there is a lot going on and it’s refreshing to hear modern hard rock with a point of difference. The critic in me believes that modern rock has become “safe” and over commercialised and this album really feels like a breath of fresh air.
Combing through this album reveals the menagerie of influences that the band collectively brings to the table and personally I hear elements of Mudvayne, Queens of the Stone Age, Breaking Benjamin and Tool. The Hard Rock (and almost Metal) blend is an effective one and the variation stops Change/Evolve from sounding repetitive and turning into heavy elevator music.
AIA has mastered the “impact riff” and a lot of the tracks start like a house exploding, I find myself consistently surprised as I am repeatedly hit with an audio sledgehammer. The guitars are heavy, The bass is pounding, the drums are crisp and the vocals go from quiet and unassuming to vicious screaming.
Personally my standout picks are Running You Down, Mistakes and Memories and Banquet but there is something for everyone here and not one track feels like a filler. If you like your Rock music heavy (with lighter moments) this will be right up your alley as AIA have dropped some serious numbers on Change/Evolve.
Buy it, go to the next gig, buy a shirt and get ready to say “I remember them when they used to play small local shows”.
Be that guy.
– Reviewed by Jessie James
