By Janice Tran
A Static Lullaby has returned from the fiery depths of major label hell, and live to tell about it in their latest self-titled release. After releasing the commercially unsuccessful Faso Latido on Columbia in 2005, the band disappointed many fans and lost much of their hardcore following. In the year between the two releases, the band suffered internal turmoil, which included getting let off Columbia Records, and the severance of three original members.
Coming out of the entire experience alive and screaming, the band is ready to impress the skeptics and win back the fans. Their self-titled release is by far the most musical of all their albums, showing off a hard, yet mature side of the band. The songs include many intricate layers of guitar and other instrumentation, and demonstrate an obvious experimentation with other genres than metal. The vocals, which have been a focus of Lullaby since day one, are stronger, more melodic and more diverse than before. Vocalist Joe Brown is able to instantaneously go from blood curdling screams to soft crooning without a flinch. With this album, A Static Lullaby is finally where they ought to be–it just took a couple steps forward and one back to get there.