Band : Break Of Day
Album title : Illusions Burn
Label : Funtime
Distributor : Suburban – Bertus
Release date : 25/06/2011
Release : CD

For the antecedents of this Westerlo (Aarschot area) based Belgian Melodic Hardcore/ Punk Rock band, please check the review (posted 11/12/2008) I did on their debut full-length The Hangman's Fracture. I wish I could give you a decent update, but there's very little info available. Thanks to some comparing, I can tell you that the list of bands (deemed “interesting enough” to mention) BOD shared stages with has increased with Strike Anywhere, Hot Water Music, Verse, This Is A Standoff, Cro-Mags, The Casino Brawl, Far From Finished, Rentokill, Face Tomorrow, Fire In The Attic, No Turning Back, The Real Danger, Atlas Losing Grip, Noyalty, Tenement Kids, Smash the Statues, The Setup and Belgian Asociality, State Of Mine, 88 Fingers Louie, Antillectual ...and then some. In other words, they've moved their asses in the last 2 ½ years, playing support to a bunch of already somewhat established and upcoming bands.

They had to sit those asses back down in April of last, when they were huddled together at Dé Studio with producer Dirk Miers (I still have to apologize for having cited him wrongly in the above mentioned review – an un-noticed typing error, I assure you!) to record the 11 tracks we now find on this, the band's new album. And the mastering of the recordings was again done expertly by Jason Livermore at Blasting Room. Illusions Burn is very much a continuation of the debut, with music which is a stylistic hybrid of Melodic Hardcore and Punk Rock with slight Progressive touches, and lyrics which are either personal of socio-politically inspired (still working under the influence of Bad Religion, you know!). If anything changed at all, it's mainly in the even more inventive lead guitar additions. Yeah, one certainly hears guitarist Tim Dries' progressive influences come to full fruition here! At (www.) myspace.com/breakofdaymusic, you can find 2 songs off the new album posted neatly alongside 3 off the debut (plus a live video). Check 'em out and compare! But at any rate, enjoy!

Nice album indeed, and a positive evolution from the debut for sure, even if I've made this review rather short for my doing! And with the positive evolution comes an increased rating, as a matter of cold fact! Oh...before I forget, the band can be caught playing some gigs in Belgium during the Summer. Less than I would've expected, actually...but you can find 'em once again at the Funtime Fest at Aarschot's JH De Klinker (on Sunday Oct. 1).

89/100

Tony.