Be Well – The Weight And The Cost LP (Equal Vision Records / End Hits Records)

The Weight And The Cost is a highly anticipated debut full-length album by Be Well, a supergroup comprised of some renowned musicians who spent quite an amount of time in bands such as Battery, Bane, Darkest Hour, Fairweather…to name a few. The group already set the bar up high with their previous 7” record, but this particular material shines even brighter. Brian McTernan spent over two decades recording and producing releases for all the abovementioned bands, so he knew who he’s going to call for his newest band. This logical move resulted in a supergroup that instantly overwhelms the listening apparatus with a perfect balance of melancholic melodies and wholehearted aggression.

The album carries eleven compelling melodic hardcore compositions, with Strength For Breath and Frozen previously being included on a 7” record. McTernan showcases his more emotive side through sincerely delivered vocal segments. He encapsulates life struggles, various circumstances, situations into detailed lyric structures and demonstrates them through profoundly emotive chants. Occasional cracklings in his voice showcase how much these lyrics mean to him and how urgent he needed to share his thoughts with the rest of the world. While his chants are profoundly emotive, McTernan also retains gracious dosages of sheer aggression in his vocal cords.

Musicwise, Be Well levitates somewhere between contemporary melodic hardcore music and classic nineties hardcore sound. Nevertheless, the group includes some emo moments and post-hardcore dynamics along the way. Compelling guitar dualities are exchanging fire through thoughtfully arranged chord progressions and leading melancholic melodies. Both guitars appear equally in the mix, and each tone is vividly hearable throughout the complete recording. Warm sounding basslines are slapping directly in the face somewhere in the middle of the mix, but they’re playing more than a crucial role on this record. The drumming sequences at The Weight And The Cost are utterly insane. Exceptional drumming performance includes a broad spectrum of various rhythmical maneuvers and acrobatics that highlight each melody at this recording.

The Weight And The Cost represents an exceptional comeback to Brian McTernan, who was musically inactive for two decades but worked with the bands in the studio during that period. However, judging by this recording, it seems Brian kept track of the scene. Alongside with the marvelous musicianship of the remaining members of the group, Brian’s tremendous experience puts The Weight And The Cost as a serious contender for a hardcore punk album of the year award. The record is currently available in so many color variants at Equal Vision Records and End Hits Records web stores.