It Lies Within (metalcore from Flint, MI) released their second full-length album, Paramount last month on Luxor Records.

This record features guest vocalist appearances from Telle Smith of The Word Alive, Ryan Kirby of Fit For A King and Jonny Mcbee  from The Browning. McBee also co-produced the album with As They Sleep guitarist Nick Morris.

Paramount is at once brutal and dance-able. It Lies Within find a way to construct the perfect marriage between EDM and metal. Fans of Abandon all Ships, Pallisades, or Fallstar will be into this.

“Open your eyes (Intro)” opens up the album in a delicious mix of electronica and heavy riffing. This carries through the album and the penultimate track “Trust In Yourself” maybe best exemplifies this combo of EDM and metal with its dance-y intro leading into crushing riffs.

“Ecdysis” gives us a look at the incredible mix of vocal styles utilized by the band; screams, cleans, some highs.  Also, those leads in the intro are addictive and one of the reasons I keep coming back to this song. Another favorite track of mine is “Light The Way” as it comes out strong with clean vocals and has some real heavy guitar and solid drums. You also can’t not love the breakdown into metal vocals.“Reap What You Sow” has the band tearing it open as a killer hardcore song and use synth to take it next level.

I only wish some of the guitar work would be better showcased throughout this album. It Lies Within’s drums hit hard. the barrage keeps the energy up, and the low end of these songs is just too good. When it comes to vocals, rather than building a song around some of their high profile guest vocalists, they have found perfect ways to work a new voice into the track to make it the best it can be. Lyrics are generally on the positive side which makes it a feel-good album, musically and lyrically, all the way through.

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 Metal purists may find the electronics and synth a little too in your face and overwhelming, but for listeners who enjoy genre-blurring and this modern metal brand, Paramount will be a delight. It Lies Within delivers a dynamic album that doesn’t get boring. The band finds a balance where they don’t drown the metal with electronics but neither do they limit it; the heaviness is unmistakable.
The futuristic album artwork may foreshadow It Lies Within’s place in metalcore: these guys are just getting started.

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 These guys are set to hit the road on the Chillin’ and Killin’ Tour with Kissing Candace. Check out their website or social media for those dates.

Tracklisting:
01. Open Your Eyes (Intro)
02. Ecdysis
03. Starscream
04. You Won’t Bury Me
05. Never Surrender (ft. Telle Smith)
06. Reap What You Sow
07. Light the Way
08. Depths of Struggle (ft. Jonny McBee)
09. Broken Streets (ft. Ryan Kirby)
10. Trust in Yourself
11. ‘Till We Meet Again