Restoring Force is the third, full length, upcoming album from metalcore quintet Of Mice & Men. It is set for release in Europe and Australia January 24th, Japan and the UK January 27th, and the United States January 28th through Rise Records. The sound of the album veers away from their older sound as described by lead singer Austin Carlile, “… more rock, or I guess a nu-metal sound you could say.” The title of the album is a reference to their last album, The Flood, in which Carlile stated: “What happens after ‘The Flood’? You return to normal. You find balance again. That’s what we felt like we were doing with this album. We wanted this record to bring equilibrium back to our band and music. We’re letting everyone know what we’re here to stay. We’re ‘Restoring Force.” Also it could be a look in to how bright these guys are, considering the term ‘restoring force’ is a physics concept; it “is a variable force that gives rise to an equilibrium in a physical system.” There were only two singles released from the album; ‘You’re Not Alone’ and ‘Bones Exposed’ released on December 1, 2013 and December 23, 2013 respectively. ‘You’re Not Alone’ wasn’t a huge hit with the fanbase, but it does grow on you. ‘Bones Exposed’ was more accepted by fans and sounds more like the sound that we are used to from OM&M. Both of these songs show the direction that OM&M is headed, with more cleans by Aaron Pauley and Carlile’s vocals easier to understand, but still keeping the edge that we know and love. Those of you not lucky enough to hear the leak before it was taken down for copyright purposes; I’ll try not to spoil it for you. However, Restoring Force does not disappoint! Those fans that based the album on ‘You’re Not Alone’ should, and will, be eating their words. The entire album, starting with ‘Public Service Announcement’ is in your face, and ends on a soft note with ‘Space Enough to Grow’. While there’s still emotion put into the album, it’s toned down very much, in comparison it’s much calmer, but still able to hold the true Of Mice & Men sound that we love. Is it the OM&M that we’re used to? Eh, not really, but at the same time it is. They’re just brining balance back into their lives as well as ours. At some point in life, everyone will need a little restoring force.
Rating: 4/5- Wow. Just…wow. The album in its entirety is fantastic! I will admit I was a little put off by ‘You’re Not Alone’ (however it’s been growing on me lately!), but I am so glad I gave this album a chance. Instrumentally it’s great, and vocally Pauley and Carlile are a great team! All in all a wonderful album and you should definitely pre-order if you’re an OM&M fan. I know that the album was leaked and not everyone got to hear it, but I’m sure if you dig far enough you can find another one (youtube took it down).
You can pre-order Restoring Force on iTunes or http://ofmiceandmenofficial.com/
