As I reviewed a couple of GlassTone Records’ releases, by now I know that they have some nice melodic metal bands in stock. Sharp End First is the next band I have to review, but about the band itself I can’t tell you much. With the promo-copy I received a short text, which stated nearly nothing and furthermore I couldn’t find much information about them… I only know they’re hailing from the U.K., they started back in 2004 and Rule The Day is their debut full-length album.

The music, which is presented to the listener, is melodic, heavy and brutal. The sound is good, when you consider a really polished sound good, and as almost always the screams are alternated with some clean vocals. With these kind of bands you just keep wondering: “where do they all come from?!” Sharp End First is a really good band with well thought through tracks and some decent skills, but I’m almost coming to a point of: enough is enough!

These new bands today don’t have an own and unique sound anymore and that’s too bad. Where is the time you could recognize a band by a style of bass-playing, a hard-hitting drummer or a characteristic sound of the frontman?! Today everybody is seeking for that commercial sound and if you want to be the next big thing after Bullet For My Valentine you’re on the right path.

Music-wise they aren’t really a BFMV rip-off, because Sharp End First is a bit heavier and the vocalist uses his scream more efficient. If you really want to hear a band you can compare it with I could name As I Lay Dying, but with a little less technical skills. In short, just a nice metalcore record for the fans…