Very often I think, when does it stop. I mean there are so many bands that play metalcore. You have to be very selective to pick out the pearls from the mud. Seneca hails from North Carolina and this is their second release. The first "Self-titled" full-length saw the light in 2006. This second record is a bit different from most of the metalcore releases.

Sometimes very heavy and raging, but they also have more melody in their music than the lot. Sometimes the songs have a resting moment in it like in the song "Palehorse". As many of their genre-mates we get some clean singing here too, but in other places (like in the song "Creator") the guttural vocals of Corey Spencer and the tight drumming and riffing give the song even some grindcore effect. Besides that, most of the songs have also a kind of groove in them, you can hear that they don't try to play as fast as they can and that's it, but they have really spend some time writing decent songs.

In the song "Your Heart in My Hands" they remind me of Mendeed. In general I think that fans of Mendeed will dig Seneca as well, but always take a listen first. The record ends with an accoustic part called "Reflections". The playing time of the record is not that long, but when you buy the limited edition pressing, you get their debut-cd in a re-mixed and re-mastered version as bonus.

Is it a pearl or is it mud? I would not subscribe it as mud, certainly not, but it is not a pearl either. Let us call it a rough stone with potential (to become a pearl?).