Reviewed by: Tobias Handke

Published: 5 October 2011

lp: walking in storms

It’s hard to believe ‘Walking In Storms’ is only Mere Theory’s second album. In a career that has spanned over a decade, the hard working alternate rockers have established themselves as not only one of Adelaide’s, but also one of Australia’s most captivating and committed live acts.

‘Walking In Storms’ follows on from the success of their debut album ‘Catalan Atlas’, and is a powerful display of furious guitar rock and melodic songwriting pulled together by the soaring vocals of lead singer Chris Mellow. With only one track hitting the 4 minute mark, Mere Theory have honed their songwriting technique, crafting songs that never outstay their welcome but leave you wanting more.

All this is showcased on the albums first track, the rollicking ‘El Nino Lifts Its Wings’. The interestingly named track features a jolting guitar riff as Mellow delivers the chorus ‘risk it all for no return/a new moon will dawn again’ with urgency. ‘Break Through’ follows and is another powerful rock tune, while the Birds Of Tokyo-esqu ‘Searchlight’ includes a spoken word segment to end the song, adding another layer to overall vibe of both the song itself and the album. ‘Black Honey’ is another swirling atmospheric track that explodes into a torrent of thumping of drumming.

The album slows down towards the middle section, with the elevated ‘Remedy (Is You)’, the catchy simplicity of ‘We All Stand In The Same Room’ and the slow building ‘All Walls Will Follow’ showing a mature side to the band. While slower in pace and just a little softer, they lose none of the intensity or edge of the heavier songs to which fans are accustomed.

The forceful ‘Another Day’ and dynamic harmony of ‘Raise Your Sights’ restore the rock quota of the album, combining the old school Mere Theory sound with the new ideas found throughout ‘Walking In Storms’.

‘We Can Start Over’ and ‘The Closing Scene’ round out the album, with the former featuring just the piano, guitar and Mellow’s soothing vocals, the closest thing to a ballad found on the record. Final song ‘The Closing Scene’ is another great rock tune that leaves you wanting more.

‘Walking In Storms’ is the album everyone has wanted Mere Theory to make. It recalls the classic rock sound of Aussie peers Karnivool, Antiskeptic and Trial Kennedy while sounding as fresh as the new breed of rockers (Calling All Cars, Numbers Radio) currently doing their thing. Mere Theory confirm their status as one of Australia’s top rock acts with ‘Walking In Storms’ and are sure to feature in many people’s best local releases of this year.