Rating: 2.5 / 5 stars

With the departure of Austin Carlile at the end of 2016, screamer, vocalist and founder of Of Mice & Men, fans were left unsure of where OM&M was going to lead. The four remaining members of the group are Aaron Pauley, Alan Ashby, Phil Manansala and Valentino Arteaga. Pauley had some shoes to fill, being both the screamer and clean vocalist of the band. Though there were vibes from past albums “The Flood” and “Restoring Force,” “Defy” certainly did not disappoint, but it did not completely satisfy either.

“Defy” was released on Jan. 19, and fans had anticipated how they would change now that Carlile was gone. Because of their history of making enjoyable music, this album proved to be nothing more than a mediocre comeback.

The album severely lacked lyrics and a sound that would have made them stand out, something they had and needed to continue with. Now without Carlile, most of the album’s lyrics were an overuse of repetition.

Unless listeners are familiar with Pauley’s previous group, Jamie’s Elsewhere, they probably were not aware of his vocal talent. Pauley’s vocals had a chance to shine in this album, as he was the only vocalist. Carlile’s vocals set a different tone and pulled him away from others. Fans expected Pauley to follow in this mold, but were ultimately left disappointed. Unfortunately, his vocal effort on “Defy” was not unique enough to separate the band from others in the genre.

One of the stronger songs on the album was “Back to Me.” It had the sound that one would expect OM&M to have in their collection. Pauley’s clean vocals were reminiscent of the sound from “Restoring Force.” This song was one of the lone bright spots on the album, as it felt like a continuation of the band’s signature sounds rather than a stagnant effort that plagued the rest of the tracks.

“Warzone” was one of the heavier songs on the album and was another example that Pauley is not capable of reaching the level Carlile was at during his peak with the band. This track is the best example of how OM&M has conformed to the norm of the metalcore genre with a simplistic effort both musically and lyrically that felt lazily executed.

Compared to the other albums, OM&M missed the mark with “Defy.” Without Carlile, the band lost a lot of what defined them in the past. The new sound they created does not sound very new at all. With this effort, the band has conformed to the usual sound found by countless other bands in the genre. Lyrically, this album is significantly weaker and more generic than anything they have released in the past.

This effort from OM&M shows they have lost the unique sound and personality they embodied with Carlile at the helm, at least for the time being. It appears now that this band has officially fallen victim to the typical sound found from other acts signed to Rise Records.

Image from Rise Records via YouTube.com