Destroy the Runner - Saints CD Review

Dear Destroy the Runner,

We have recently had the chance to listen to your debut CD, Saints, and upon doing so were overcome with a myriad of emotions. Going into our initial listening of your CD, we knew that there would definitely be similarities between your brand of melodic metalcore and what we have pioneered in the last few years, but we didn’t know that you would blatantly copy us as much as you did.

From the first song to the last song, we felt as if you took every riff we have put down on tape, from what we did on our debut full length, Beneath the Encasing of Ashes all the way up to our most recent offering, Shadows are Security, changed them around slightly, and claimed them as your own. Yes, some may call this copying the sincerest form of flattery, but we see it as a lack of creativity on your part.

It wouldn’t be that terrible if you were simply ripping off our riffs, much like Caliban did earlier this year on their release The Undying Darkness, but you also outright steal our vocal approach. Yes, we realize that the combination of heavy, guttural yelling interspersed with light, tenor singing is not something unique only to our band, but both your yells and your singing sound exactly like Tim and Clint’s vocal styles.

We are saddened to see Solid State Records resorting to signing bands that lack originality and ape already established bands' sounds outright without even attempting to put a unique spin on it. Signing bands just to cash in on a trend is not something we support.

Despite the above, however, we do feel you have some signs of talent, and if you try to find your own identity instead of merely copying us, we think you could do well in the melodic metalcore genre. We are sure you’ll sell plenty of records to kids looking to whet their appetites while they wait for us to put out a new disc, but please don’t plan on continuing to cash in by peddling your unoriginal music to our fanbase.

Signed collectively,
The members of As I Lay Dying