This Was Always Meant to Fall Apart

• Artist: Scarlet
• Rating:
• Release Date: January 24, 2006
• Type: Lyrics are included with the album
• Genre: Rock

Review

Having barely survived the theft of all their equipment while on tour, and the departure of their bassist following a nearly lethal brain clot, it's no surprise that 2006's This Was Always Meant to Fall Apart finds the tragedy prone Scarlet in a particularly chaotic state. Of course this frazzled state of mind both fuels and complicates their creative output, and the album in question couldn't be more glaringly uneven because of it. The layered guitar swirls and electronic effects presented on fetching opener "Obsolete" are as promising as they are fleeting, since, for the vast remainder of the LP, Scarlet concentrate their efforts on technically impressive, but frankly spastic and hook-deprived bursts of mathematical metal ("Swarm Manifesto," "Antibionics," "Simply Carcinogen," etc.). This is both odd and disappointing because when they actually choose to explore more linear harmonic patterns, clear standouts like "On Fire," "Plastic Saints" (both using minor keys to evoke sublime desperation) and, to a lesser degree, the more hopeful "The Embrace of a Paramedic," conjure up a truly satisfying range of believable emotions. They also do what most other tracks on this LP can't, and that's help Scarlet stand out among the teeming metal masses; perhaps this is a direction they can pursue on their next record, if distractions from further unforeseen incidents and never-ending personnel turnover finally stop plaguing them. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Obsolete	Scarlet	Scarlet	(3:14)
Swarm Manifesto	Scarlet	Scarlet	(2:24)
Antibionics	Scarlet	Scarlet	(1:29)
The Separation Of	Scarlet	Scarlet	(3:09)
On Fire	Scarlet	Scarlet	(3:53)
Glass Veined Wire Frames	Scarlet	Scarlet	(3:12)
Simply Carcinogen	Scarlet	Scarlet	(2:27)
Plastic Saints	Scarlet	Scarlet	(3:41)
Law Is Lawless	Scarlet	Scarlet	(2:34)
Lyssophobia	Scarlet	Scarlet	(2:57)
The Embrace of a Paramedic	Scarlet	Scarlet	(3:04)
Apocalyptic Love Song	Scarlet	Scarlet	(4:10)

Credits

Scarlet (Producer), Randy Vanderbilt (Engineer), Randy Vanderbilt (Mixing), Randy Vanderbilt (Producer), Randy Vanderbilt (Group Member), Bryan Tolbert (Group Member), Andreas Lars Magnusson (Group Member), Andreas Lars Magnusson (Engineer), Andreas Lars Magnusson (Producer), Andreas Lars Magnusson (Mixing), Alan Douches (Mastering), Brandon Roundtree (Group Member)