Florida somber rock band Cold are back with its newest release in 8 years, The Things We Can’t Stop. “Shine” the initial single off the record is a rather banal track with its dreamy riff and simple drum pattern. This is not the best choice for a single as it is generic and sounds like a run of the mill alternative rock song from the past 20 years. “Snowblind” is a slow, haunting song with dissonant riffs and vocalist Scooter Ward’s melodic croon. Guitarist Nick Coyle lays out several melancholy phrases that add to the disturbing serenity of this song. The rest of the album is rather trite as each track is barely distinguishable from the other. Cold returns to its roots on the industrial tinged “Without You,” which appears in the album’s second half. The mid-tempo rocker breaks up the monotony on this record. “Quiet Now” is another notable track with its urgent vocals and saccharine vibe. “Systems Fail” has a hypnotic melody over a gloomy musical landscape. Album closer “We All Love” opens with a piano while Scooter urges everyone to stop the hate and love. It is certainly a needed message in today’s social climate, however, the track is still schmaltz.
The Things We Can’t Stop falls short of being a good record as it is too homogeneous. Cold is known for producing dark, gloomy rock but the band backs itself in to a corner on this album. There is no “Suffocate” on this record or even a “Wicked World.”Things is a somewhat aimless record where the tracks run together. This album would have sounded better with several heavier songs sandwiched between the softer tracks. However, what is done is done.
Cold fans may enjoy The Things We Can’t Stop, but this is a letdown from a band that is capable of making better music. Cold was never at the top of the hard rock or nu metal hierarchy in the early 2000s but the band carved its niche. There are things you cannot stop, however Scooter and company can certainly make a better record than this.
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