Since I’ve pushed out such a minimal amount of reviews lately I’m going to be pumping out as many as I can in a short amount of time to make up for it. This one I’ve been jamming for roughly the past month now and if you’re a fan of anything Southern, then let me tell you right now that you are in for an amazing treat, so sit back and get ready!
With Hell At Our Backs may not be a household name just yet but trust me, if these guys continue on the path that they’re on right now they will be in record time; I have no doubt in my mind. Motivation is the full-length release from With Hell At Our Backs and I’ve only been a fan of these guys for approximately one year and in that time they’ve gone from an okay band to releasing one of my favorite albums of the year so far. Their first EP The Bastards, which was released February 28th, 2011, was what originally got me hooked on the band because they had a really sweet and original mix of deathcore with a hint of Southern-style hardcore as well and I thought it was an amazing combination.
While Motivation has moved away from the deathcore sound and has become more of a southern metalcore and hardcore blend instead, I am in no way flustered by this because the boys of With Hell At Our Backs have managed to also mix some of the most beautiful and relaxing melodies into the album as well. When I listen to the album I get a feel of Landscapes, Counterparts, and Hundredth all at the same time. If you know anything about those three bands, you know that all three are amazing and to be compared to them is a major honor. Lyrically, the album is so similar to Counterparts. It takes a negative and depressing reality and blends it with a slight tinge of positivity and with that they create a very similar album to Counterparts’ most recent release entitled The Current Will Carry Us which I was also a huge fan of.
The vocalist Tyler Quillen puts some serious emotion into the songs he sings. Songs like “Addict”, “Luther”, “Motivation”, and “Depression” give me so much respect for Tyler and the rest of the band. They preach such an incredible message in their songs and through their band and for that, they get one of the highest ratings I’ve given an album so far. Be sure to support these guys by buying their album off Bandcamp. They have it up for free but if you like what you hear throw them a couple bucks or buy some of their merch if they happen to play some shows near you because I’d hate to see these guys break up from lack of funds. I know as soon as they have physical copies I’m picking one up and I hope you do the same. 
Links: Facebook – Bandcamp
