The Rebirth of Tragedy

Metalcore is not for the faint of heart. Taking hardcore to the extreme, metalcore thrives on a harsh, punishing, highly ferocious density — the sort of density one encounters on Twelve Tribes' second album, The Rebirth of Tragedy. There are some hints of screamo on this CD; at times, Twelve Tribes throws in some clean, conventional singing to balance lead vocalist Adam Jackson's tortured screaming. But when all is said and done, The Rebirth of Tragedy is much more metalcore than screamo, and Twelve Tribes does all the things that metalcore bands are known for doing. They kick, punch, batter, pummel, bruise, and beat the listener into submission; they see to that this 2004 release has a claustrophobic, suffocating quality. And because Twelve Tribes go for maximum density so much of the time, The Rebirth of Tragedy is a very exhausting album — not exhausting in a negative way, but exhausting in that brutal, kick-in-the-head fashion that thrills fans of metal's lunatic fringe. One of the weapons in Twelve Tribes' arsenal is hip-hop; The Rebirth of Tragedy has more rapping than the average metalcore disc, which isn't to say that this CD is rap-metal in the usual Limp Bizkit/Korn/Methods of Mayhem sense. Although the rapping is effective as an extra ingredient, The Rebirth of Tragedy is still a metalcore album first and foremost. Of course, music this intense isn't for everyone; like death metal, free jazz, techno, and dancehall, metalcore is very much an acquired taste — and those who appreciate sledgehammer bands like Hatebreed, Throwdown, Every Time I Die, and Brick Bath will find The Rebirth of Tragedy to be a generally decent contribution to the crowded metalcore field.