When I first saw metalcore newcomers The Overseer open on the August Burns Red tour a few year ago, I was disappointed. The audience wanted nothing to do with them. No pits, no singing, no dancing. Their energy was sub- par and I contributed this to the fact they were a new band.

Now, listening to Rest and Let Go, I hear an improved band. 

The first four tracks of the sophomore attempt were solid but seemed to mesh together. However, the Underoath influences are tastefully added to The Overseer's songs as to not make this a tribute album. Screamer Anthony Rivera's screams in "Fragile Wings" are impressive with believable emotion and a generous vocal range. Rivera makes this track a great opener.  

"Deluded" and "The Ferryman, Charon" while meant to be transitions and interludes could have achieved so much more. "Deluded" acted as a turning point for the album as I became more interested and drawn to the songs. It also took a female's vocals and Darren King's cleans on a journey of yin and yang. The contrast of their voices intermingled with the slower tempo made this interlude one of my favorite tracks of the album, but it ended far too soon. The instrumentals in "The Ferryman, Charon" served as a smooth transition into "Uproot" but It could have been it's own track. I was waiting for a little more, for Rivera's screams to kick in. But instead, "Uproot" began. 

Speaking of "Uproot," it is the prize winning horse of Rest and Let Go. Visions of concert attendees throwing down in the pit dance in my head as both Rivera and King take turns controlling the pace and severity of the track along with the instrumentals. 

Ending Rest and Let Go with "Depraved" was a smart decision for The Overseer. The eerie tones of King's vocals and the soft melody of a piano open the track nicely. The lyrics and song structure are easy to follow and while "Depraved" seems like a simple song, it is so much more than that. When the clapping descends in and the lyrics "Everyone loves but no one is lovely/ Everyone's low but no one is lowly/ Everyone blames but no one is blameless/ Everyone's ashamed but no one is shameless" kick in, it serves as a sort of anthem to anybody that feels as if they will never be good enough. It also gives Rivera time to shine one last time before the closing chords. 

Overall, Rest and Let Go was a genuine attempt for The Overseer. They took elements of their sound from their debut album and reworked those elements to give a different feel to old and new fans. Fans of The Overseer will be overjoyed with the release but it might take new listeners some time to warm up. 

7.5/10