Breaking Grace (Redemption Road)

Turn this to 2 of 11

Released: 2015

Genre: Alternative Rock, Hard Rock, Grunge

Sounds Like: Three Days Grace, Breaking Benjamin, Staind

We would be lying if we said the post-grunge hard rock genre was one of our favorites. The genre is characterized by over-dramatic lyrics and aggressive testosterone infused riffs. The genre has been led by bands such as Staind, Shinedown, Seether, Alter Bridge, Godsmack, Three Days Grace, Breaking Benjamin and Nickleback. The song structures are all very trite meaning they are worn out and hackneyed used so many times it is no longer interesting or effective. Welcome Breaking Grace, a band so unoriginal that they couldn't even come up with an original name, siding with a blend of Breaking Benjamin with Three Days Grace. The five piece band hailing from Temperance, Michigan has released their first album in Redemption Road.

Track Listing:

1. My Sickness

2. What Do You Want

3. Right Kind of Wrong

4. Say It Again

5. Stand Up

6. Forever Ends Today

7. Lights

8. Let’s Get Loaded

9. Heart so Cold

10. N.B.D.

11. California Bound

12. Shine

The first track "My Sickness" reverberates the line "get down on your knees,"  thank-god for their ability to rhyme 'sickness' with 'forgiveness' or this song would be in real trouble. The next track "What Do You Want" actually chants "what do you want, what do you need" throughout. This song is simply unlistenable. Bring it down with "Right Kind of Wrong" where they get preacher-like on us. This song sounds like a great one for their down the road live acoustic unplugged set. Blended with a little electric and acoustic and wreaking of the lead singer of Staind meets Three Doors Down. The song sounds like everything else you have heard. We will give a compliment to Jeremy's vocals on this one. They stay in tune and can compete with Aaron Lewis.

Next up, "Say it Again," probably the most sappy song on the album the only unique feature we enjoy is that they utilize some harmony by bringing in some guest female vocals. Caution with the next song, "Stand Up"... enough said, we will let this lyric paint the picture... "stand-up while your still alive... its you that will have to decide". Much of the same to follow, but lets skip down to "N.B.D," intriguing, what could this stand for and why could they not spell the whole title out? Yup, you guessed it, Never Back Down (N.B.D). These dudes are tough sons of  guns. The last track "Shine" is another anthem of hope and fortitude. This one also sounds like a carbon copy of other post-grunge tunes, except for perhaps the nice touch with the piano-work.

Overall the album has some nice production, but at the end of the day Breaking Grace is very late to the party. They sound nothing more than a cover band for, well, you pick-em, any of the bands mentioned in this review. If anything, give this one a listen to see how talented impressionists work in the music industry.

Standout Tracks: Right Kind of Wrong

Band Members:

Jeremy Rober - Vocals,  

Johnny Krill - Lead Guitar

Randy Johnson - Bass

Dustin Maroon - Guitar

Brandon Gill - Drums