Of Mice & Men (OM&M) is an anomaly within the Metalcore genre. They’re like that one piece in Jenga that no one acknowledges. But when someone finally tries to pull, the piece is actually vital to the tower. Usually, a band like OM&M doesn’t last long due to the safer routes they take with trends as time goes on. But, every “era” there is at least one solid album. Whether it is the Crabcore-influenced, The Flood, or my personal favorite, the Djent-oriented,  Restoring Forces, but to be perfectly transparent, after Austin Claile’s departure, I never looked back on their newer stuff. I wanted to see if their first release after Carlile, Defy, kept within the thesis of OM&M, or if they finally faded out. To do this, we must explore the album and scour each track to find a verdict on the newer era of OM&M.

“Defy”: 4

   I wasn’t sure how they would approach the opening. But the pure adrenaline of “Defy” shows the speed and simplicity they would start to employ throughout the album. Aaron Pauley’s vocals are crisp and fit with the hooks that are equally catchy. Phil Manansala and Alan Ashby take on more reserved riffwork. Their mixing elevates the melodies and speed of Pauley.  The track is about resisting hopelessness and societal control, and finding the strength to rise above adversity.

“Instincts”: 4

   Continuing, listeners get bouncy-feeling riffs from Ashby and Manansala. They don’t sacrifice anything that made the opening such a masterpiece, but add in a groove. Even though Ashby and Manansala are at the forefront of the track, listeners can’t discount Valentino Arteaga’s drumming to help the groove. It’s about trusting their gut feelings, overcoming deceit, and persevering through hardship.

“Back To Me”: 5

   I don’t remember how many patterns of this record there are until now. “Back to Me” continues the groove orientation, but is catchy. Sometimes it’s hard to judge whether this song is truly a metal song or if it dips into a mainstream sound. Even though this is definitely single-bait, it’s fitting to both the album and the band. The track talks about using your passions to find your way back to yourself after a major change or loss. Frontman Aaron Pauley explained that the song is about harnessing the passion inside you.

Sunflower: 4

    Honestly, this song is close to a masterpiece aside from the verses, where it isn’t particularly unique. But good Lord, the dream-like chorus is equally as aggressive. There are many moving parts, but my personal favorite, and the ones who lead the hooks, are Ashby and Manansala’s Shoegaze-esque rhythmwork. They elevate the lower end of the chorus for Pauley’s soaring vocals, finding the inner strength to overcome personal struggles and not letting challenges consume them. The lyrics use the metaphor of a sunflower to represent resilience and blooming despite difficult circumstances, urging listeners to “break away from it all” before being “dragged under.”

Unbreakable: 3

   Listeners finally witness what I mean by OM&M has a shaky foundation, and “UNbreakable” is the exact point. I don’t hate it, but by the fifth or sixth track, I was begging for something a little different, and the track is bland. It is about inner strength and resilience in the face of adversity and betrayal. The lyrics convey a message of refusing to be defeated by hardships, even when “bleeding” and “bending,” and symbolize an unwavering resolve to stay steadfast and overcome challenges.

Vertigo: 5

   What a masterpiece. The methodical aspect, combined with the punchy riffs create a magnitude, almost reminding me of Restoring Force. The mid to low end characterizes the heaviness of OM&M with the substance of their new radio-friendly sound. The aspects of the song are fully delegated, with every person not necessarily being led by one specific instrument. It’s a metaphoric story struggling with a sense of disorientation and a loss of control, symbolized by the feeling of vertigo.

“Money”: 3

   The track is different, but it goes in the opposite direction. I never liked the radio-friendly side of OM&M, especially when they completely abandoned their sound. I think it would be a perfect jumping-off point for individuals who want to get into metal, but other than that, there isn’t a whole lot to talk about.

‘How Will You Live”: 4

   One thing I didn’t cover on “Defy” is the arena aspect of the chorus, with the vocals being chanted. The reason why is that this track does it a thousand times better. It’s profound and obvious, unlike the aforementioned opening, where it can be confused with full-sounding rhythm guitars. The band uses the track and, by proxy, the question to encourage a dialogue about mental health, suggesting that facing and speaking about problems is the only way to overcome them

“On the Inside”: 3

   Seemingly like every other Metalcore album, the quality of writing takes a nose-dive. “On the Inside” is just a baseless chugging feast, with forgettable hooks. Actually, by proxy, the “hooks” on this track aren’t even a hook. According to the Atlanta Institute of Music and Media, it is defined as “a successful hook is a memorable melody or lyrical phrase in popular music that is designed to “hook” the listener and make the song memorable.”

“Warzone”: 3

    I totally forgot this song, and according to a majority of streaming platforms, it ranked LOW on their tracklist.

“Forever YDG’n”: 4

   I wasn’t sure where this would go, since the whole YDG (Ya dig?) branding has spanned since the beginning of their career. What listeners got was a throwback and rejuvenation of their original sound. The punchy guitar riffs are near perfect, and hold a Nu-Metal influence with the Djent approach of their earlier discography. 

“If We were ghosts”: 4

   The finale of this album is pretty much what I was expecting.  It’s a ballad that shows the emotional size and ends with a grandiose bang. It’s great, I think it was a perfect place to end the album. The track is a thesis of this album and pretty much the Paliuey-led era. It is simplistic, but emotionally driven, and under that flawed foundation is genuineness. The finale ends with dealing with the profound sadness and grief of losing someone, especially without a chance to say goodbye.

   Overall, I think it did its job. Even though I have a soft spot for the Restoring Forces era, I think this is by far a perfect continuation of their sound, even with the changes.