Album review: Dayseeker – Replica

It’s a rare occurrence for metalcore bands to turn around and drop an acoustic album reimagining some of their greatest songs. Luckily, on this occasion Dayseeker are rewriting the script for how those of their ilk tackle the element of going completely unplugged.

The Californians have already set their blueprint with their emotive, intense, layered brutality resonating with the inner soul of fans across the globe. It’s not a surprise, then, that a band who wear their heart on their sleeves have restructured their songs so brilliantly that it takes them to new planes of existence.

This isn’t some Kum Ba Yah My Lord lacklustre man with guitar, this is the transformation of highly charged metalcore bangers into dulcet rock ballads. Vocalist Rory Rodriguez’s voice really is the crown in the jewel in this collection of songs, with fan-favourite Sleeptalk showing the true dexterity of his voice and how versatile he is.

Vocals from Amber DeLaRosa add an almost folk element to Without Me, elevating this song to heights you wouldn’t expect it to reach. Elsewhere, Holding Absence singer Lucas Woodland's performance on Starving To Be Empty adds even more raw emotion to this already heartbreaking track, with him and Rory’s performance making you want to reach for the tissues.

Beartooth’s Caleb Shomo then pops up on Burial Plot, seamlessly lending his talents to the atmospheric tones and the far-reaching melodies that chime cleanly into the stratosphere. The finale sees them tackle Evanescence’s My Immortal, a brave undertaking. The song so beautifully sung by Amy Lee seems like a huge challenge, luckily what Dayseeker have done here is keep all the gloomy parts and added a fresh take on it with Rory’s vocals giving it an almost new identity.

Basically, this whole venture really shows the dynamic brilliance of Dayseeker, and how to do metalcore softly.

Verdict: 3/5

For fans of: Bad Omens, This Wild Life, Pierce The Veil