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"Metal monsters VERSUS THE MIRROR send “Home†- Ripping guitars and red line vocals, an eighteen wheel crusher that will have ya flying around the room. Throat drops not included."
- New York Waste
"The term "original hardcore" has become disposable nowadays. In a sea of hardcore clones, it would be easy to mix and match singers with bands and no one would really even notice. It would be like trading baseball cards. "I'll trade you my singer from Hawthorne Heights for your Underoath singer." "OK, deal!"
No one would have ever expected a real "original hardcore" band from Tucson, Arizona, but then, a lot of things wouldn't be expected from Versus The Mirror. Their full-length debut Home comes to us via Equal Vision Records (EVR) after EVR only released an exclusive online and tour EP from this band. There are so many reasons why this band stands taller than all their peers and I'll point them out so you can truly appreciate this album.
Unlike most hardcore bands who rely on breakdowns, Versus The Mirror "two-step" the patented chugga-chugga-breakdown formula. Another thing that sets them apart from heavy hardcore wannabes is the fact that there is no distortion in the guitars, meaning you actually get to hear Gabe Borquez and Kevin Ryan's playing instead of them being able to hide behind some false sound. And there are no false sounds on Home. The band recorded the entire album with Hoag without using a computer. No MAC, no Pro-Tools, no digital editing — what you hear is what you get!
Some of the younger fans who may not understand what this means, check it: imagine seeing your favorite band live and saying to yourself 'Hey, that's not what it sounds like on the CD.' That's because most bands use digital means to record their albums, to perfect and hone their sound through intense editing.
Home was tracked with vintage gear and was recorded from analog to 2" tape. Rocking out to Home in your home will be just like rocking out to Versus The Mirror live, minus the sweaty bodies, intensity of the band, and emotions that only a live performance can evoke. To hone their sound, Versus The Mirror practice six times a week. Versus The Mirror knew quite well that with this recording style, "perfection" was a subjective word. Making the best record you can possibly make is perfection. Hard work never goes unnoticed boys; I commend and respect you.
Home is definitely an impressive debut, containing 10 new tracks and two from their previous EP. If you love melodic hardcore that doesn't lose its edge in heaviness, then this should be your new favorite band. Expect to hear big things from this young band this year and don't be surprised if they turn up on the Taste Of Chaos or Warped Tour in 2007. If you've got something to say, don't whisper it — shout it. Versus The Mirror have something to say and they want to be heard.
Not only does the music on Home kick some major ass, the enhanced CD should really grip your attention and show you just why you should love this band."
-Paraphrased from BLOGCRITICS Magazine
"Although Versus The Mirror are a metalcore band, their music is quite significantly different than what most of us imagine when this oversaturated style of music is mentioned. Home might be an album in an oft-maligned genre; however, it contains songs that are sincere and unique and is thus capable of rising far above the crowd of clones.
What will immediately grab your attention when you put this music on is how somber… no - downright depressive it is. It's been a while since I heard a band so resigned, grim and capable of infecting me with this vibe so successfully. This is because Versus The Mirror favor a visceral and expressive approach to their music. There is not a single trace of 'emo' clean vocals here, neither are there any energetic melodeath-inspired guitar leads. Instead, there is a powerful wall of sound that draws us in with its subtleties rather than by obvious and ostentatiously exhibited gimmicks. I think comparisons to Neurosis or Converge would actually be more suitable here than to any of the popular metalcore bands. Versus The Mirror also very wisely chose not to utilize the latest recording technologies and instead produced Home using analogue means. The resulting sound lets the band's music breathe and easily achieve the required extremity of expression required to convey the dark emotions that David Siebold screams about.
Home is a very sincere, personal and human release from a genre that we usually associate with bombast and plasticity. Highly recommended."
- Metal Storm
"To become established in the music industry, most artists choose to align themselves with whatever works or whatever is popular. Few acts choose to diverge from the self-appointed stereotypes of music genres. It seems musical experimentation is left to the countless side projects of platinum-selling artists and the rookies must sound noticeably similar to everyone else. One group choosing to ignore these norms is Versus The Mirror.
In their debut album, Home, these hardcore newcomers embrace alternative production options and musical experimentation, creating a finished project that clearly stands out among the hard music landscape.
While today’s music production involves digitally recording, Versus The Mirror chose to record their first studio album using an almost extinct format — analog tape. While the sound difference may seem unnoticeable to the average listener, this simple production choice not only creates an interesting, crisp sound, but also embodies the band’s belief in not compromising their artistic direction.
The goal of Versus The Mirror is to take listeners on a journey through quality sound that is also full of emotion. Lead singer Davey Seibold’s angrily bellows lyrics that are remarkably deep. Stand out tracks such as “Great White Zombie,†“Fear Will Keep Them In Line†and “Barracuda Capital of the World†give listeners an ear-full of quality hardcore with intricately layered of guitar riffs, while the final track, “Home,†contains soft ambient sounds – an experimental calm after the storm. Versus The Mirror’s debut album is a brilliant success full of talent, passion and promise. – JASON MACKEY"
- Revolt Media
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