In the lead up to the release of their fourth full-length album The American Dream (which is due to be released this month), Detroit-based hardcore/metalcore act Walls Of Jericho have put together a new EP in Redemption.

But what’s really different about Redemption is that it’s not what you would normally expect from Walls Of Jericho. Instead, the five piece act have stripped their sound right back, with the five tracks recorded entirely in the acoustic format.

The opening track “Ember Drive” is certainly a fantastic example of just how Walls Of Jericho are able to reinvent and redefine themselves outside the hardcore/metalcore genre that most would associate them with. While producer Corey Taylor (Slipknot/Stone Sour front man) helps out on backing vocals, it’s Kucsulain that proves to be the star of the show here. Within the hardcore/metalcore scene, there’s no denying that Kucsulain has proven herself to be a force to be reckoned with. But with “Ember Drive,” she shows that in terms of her clean vocals, she can also hold her own.

“My Last Stand” (which also features backing vocals from Taylor) isn’t quite as dark as the opener, and instead projects a melancholy feel throughout. The introduction of electric guitars around the halfway mark adds a bit of colour to the track, but not at the cost of the acoustics or the mood laid out from the start of the song.

The orchestrated ballad “No Saving Me” from the group’s last album With Devils Amongst Us All (2006) makes a reprisal here, and unsurprisingly, fits perfectly amongst the other tracks. So too does the band’s rendition of The Animals’ classic “House Of The Rising Sun.” While Wall Of Jericho’s version doesn’t necessary add anything to the original, it can be said that the band’s version here is solid, if a little predictable.The real stand out cut on the EP is the closer “Addicted,” where Kucsulain and Taylor team up for a duet. As you would expect, the song has a very strong Stone Sour feel to it (Taylor is co-writer of the song, and contributes guitar), but still manages to sound like Walls Of Jericho with Kucsulain’s vocal efforts.

An acoustic EP is definitely the last thing I expected from a group such as Walls Of Jericho. But after hearing Redemption, I certainly wouldn’t be averse to hearing more songs coming from this direction from the band sometime in the future.

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