AMG Review of Witness

Dave Shim
All Music Guide

It wasn't entirely clear if Phoenix-based post-hardcore act Blessthefall could rebound after the departure of frontman Craig Mabbitt so soon after the release of their 2007 debut. Two years on, it appears to have been little more than a minor bump in the road as the band, and new lead vocalist Beau Bokan, take the reigns with more confidence than ever before on their 2009 follow-up, Witness. Featuring a characteristically crisp and taut production by Michael "Elvis" Baskette, the album's sweetly melodic choruses complement a high-flying, metal-edged musicianship that incorporates face-melting fretwork, crushing double-bass breakdowns, and guttural death growls.