Nonpoint – The Return

Nonpoint is a fairly well-known name in hard rock and metal circles, and yet even during their rise to prominence, the Florida natives have maintained the work ethic and attitude that got them to where they are today since first starting out in the late 1990s. The quintet wastes no time in proving this on their latest full-length album, The Return, which released at the end of September.

The longtime hard rockers make their presence known right away on the album opener “Pins and Needles.” The blistering guitar riff fits quite well with Elias Soriano’s part-rapped, part-sung vocal delivery, which really shines through at the end of the song when Soriano lets out a siren-like scream, sealing the deal for the listener. The melodic yet powerful lead single comes next, and while “Breaking Skin” is undeniably Nonpoint, the tune is catchy enough to fit right in on modern rock radio with bigger names. “Razors” returns to the overtly aggressive nature from the record opener, but with a vocal build-up leading into another sing-along chorus, the Florida natives leave nothing on the table. “Misery” is a solid song that stands well on its own, but in this context serves as the link between two of the album’s standouts, leading up to the title track. “The Return” is an angst-ridden banger that sounds enough like a killer song to begin with. This suspicion is very much solidified, however, when the gut-busting bridge comes in, starting off with a phenomenal guitar riff. The flaming guitars lay the perfect foundation for Soriano’s blood curdling screams, making this track the best yet, and ultimately, on the entire album. It’s always tough to follow up the strongest song on a release, but “Take Apart This World” does a nice job of pulling through. The foot stomper has a bassline at the end of each chorus that gives it an edge.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gLL3CQ9_yk[/youtube]

“Forcing Hands” seems weak after its predecessors, but it’s not a bad song either; “Goodbye Letters” follows suit here. The drumwork is stellar throughout the entire album, but this really shows on “Never Ending Hole”, the second single released from the record. Aside from the phenomenal drumming, there’s just something about the album’s second single that really makes it stand out. Perhaps it’s the raspy singing of Soriano, or maybe the differing guitar parts, soaring at times and crushing at others. Either way, “Never Ending Hole” was picked as a single for a reason, and it doesn’t disappoint. “Widowmaker” follows and opens up like a “ballad” would, with an atmospheric mood and an acoustically driven intro, before the rest of the band comes in and turns things up a few notches. The chorus has a chilling half-time feel to it, and while the song is definitely upbeat, it’s the melodies of this song that make it stand out. “Never Cared Before” is unrelenting from the start, and the punk undertones during the verses give it a nice touch before an ultimately head-banging chorus. The metallic “F**K’D” turns things up even more so, and the speedy nature of the song makes up for the repetitive, albeit true, lyrics. The Florida rockers finish off their latest effort with one last catchy sing-along. Don’t be fooled though: the album closer is an upbeat tune with a solid musical backbone, something that many of Nonpoint’s peers can’t accomplish in their own “sing-alongs”. Overall, “Know Me” is a great way to end The Return.

Veteran rockers Nonpoint make it clear why they’ve lasted for as long as they have, and they certainly don’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon either. If you’re looking for a relatively diverse yet extremely cohesive hard rock album with only a few weak links, The Return is right up your alley.

Score: 4.25/5

The Return is available for purchase on iTunes, and you can also stay connected with the band on Facebook.

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  1. Best of 2014 – Topher’s Top 50 Songs of the Year « TUNED UP - […] had lots of praise for The Return when I reviewed it earlier this year, and the songs like “Never…

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