Adelaide metalheads Arcadia come roaring out of the practice room and into the metal scene with their new E.P. From Ashes We Rise. With obvious influences spanning from Killswitch Engage, trivium and Metallica, the Arcadia guys have produced a metalcore CD that sounds a lot like the new stuff coming out of Roadrunner. With the use of alternately screaming and clean vocals, this band establishes a heavy, but catchy sound that will have you humming along even when you haven’t heard it in a while.

But while this CD is good, it’s also nothing new. The metalcore scene has been booming for quite a while and some of these tracks sound like they could be a Killswitch Engage B-side. The sound (at times) can be over-produced sounding and often lacks emotion. But this sterility seems to be becoming more and more common on metal records nowadays. It is impressive that an Adelaide metal band can produce such a professional sound. I particularly like the drumming on the record as it shies away from the constant blasting (instead saving it for just the right moment) and is much more groove-based which really adds to the fatness of the riffs. All in all, Good job Arcadia!.  - Jackson