As Likely As Not - Stand Up and Verve

Not as hardcore as their name and image might imply, Italy’s As Likely As Not are more of a thrash-death act in the vein of The Crown and This Ending, but with a hell of a lot more breakdowns. Isn’t that metalcore? I hear you say. Well, not necessarily. See, As Likely As Not unquestionably exude a riffing that is grounded in melodic death-metal, Swedish kind, then throw in a couple of mosh-pit breakdowns, but absolutely ditch the use of clean vocals on the choruses. So, Killswitch Engage and As I Lay Dying this is not.

On their debut album “Stand Up and Verve”, the five-piece offer some powerful moments of ripping brutally, the riffs can get seriously nasty at times and the drums pummel with a crushing intensity, yet the overall impression is barely better than middling.

See the biggest failure of “Stand Up and Verve” is that it gets a bit repetitive and formulaic halfway through, with some songs sounding too samey and undistinguishable from each other. The Italians make that cardinal mistake of repeating the same riffs and rhythms throughout the album’s eight tracks, hampering the potency and strength of their song writing.

Still, if you don’t give a damn to that sort of thing, As Like As Not is a band worth checking out. (5.8/10)

David Alexandre

Band info: www.myspace.com/aslikelyasnot

Label info: www.executionkollective.com

For fans of: The Crown, Carnal Forge, Unearth