According to my dictionary, Vehemence means something like intensity, strength and/or enthusiasm. This is a true description of their second Metal Blade album “Helping The World To See" because it’s packed with aggressive yet melodic death metal. The tracks range from fast and furious (“Trinity Broadcasting (Know Your Enemy)”) to slow and brooding (“You Don’t Have To Be Afraid Anymore”). During the slower tracks there is some great use of piano and keyboards, which give these songs an epic atmosphere. The times they are used are sparse though, because most of the tracks are played at high speed. These guys sure know how to play and show that they can write good songs as well.

The rest of the CD is done by the book. The production, handled by Will Solares, is strong. The sparse use of intro-samples is tasteful and the artwork is great.

My biggest problem with Vehemence however is the vocals. Singer Nathan Gearhart gives al that he has got but can’t keep up with the rest of the band. You can hear he’s forcing himself to sing as brutal as possible but it isn’t enough. This is a shame because instead of being a great album “Helping The World To See” turns out to be a mediocre album, and I doubt I will be playing it very often after finishing this review. Other than that, this is a decent but by no means an essential release.