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In the early 2010s, bands in the post-hardcore/metalcore genre typically tended to be a flash in the pan, as the oversaturation of the style made it a challenge for them to breakthrough. When a band doesn’t breakthrough, they cost more than they make, and it makes sense for them to disband. Regardless of the financial situation of a band, it’s unfortunate to see them go when there was so much more quality art that they could have produced.

One such band that I hold near and dear to my heart is The Air I Breathe. This metalcore act from New Jersey saw a surge in success when they signed with Rise Records’ side label Velocity Records (who also had Woe, Is Me, Abandon All Ships, and MSWHITE). This was prefaced with the strong Anathema EP, and followed by their timeless Great Faith in Fools released on the label. Taking some of the best aspects of similar bands, like Miss May I and The Word Alive, this album features some of the most vicious lyrics and brutal breakdowns in the genre.

What made The Air I Breathe special was how they exemplified the quintessential metalcore sound, while sprinkling in influences from hardcore (with two-step sections) and post-hardcore (clean vocals in the choruses). Blistering guitar riffs run through the verses, and if it isn’t a riff playing, it’s a catchy breakdown. Tony’s scathing unclean vocals enhance the bleak tone of his lyrics, bringing depth to phrases like “Live each day with these thoughts in your head. You can’t escape the past behind you. The choice you made will haunt you forever.”

After the release and subsequent touring for Great Faith in Fools, the band released another single, “Vale Dicere”, in 2012. Dissension in 2012 led the band to do a farewell tour and dissolve that year. Afterward, some of the new members, along with Tony, went on to release more music as BURN IT TO THE GROUND, with a few singles dropping over the 2010s but no concrete releases before that act also failed to gather any steam.

I hate the fact that we never got any more Air I Breathe music, as Great Faith in Fools shaped a lot of my interests in metalcore composition, but it wasn’t meant to be. At the very least, we can celebrate the brief success the band brought at the start of the previous century.

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