The Black

It didn’t take long for new vocalist Denis Stoff to endear himself to Asking Alexandria’s metalcore army. His pernicious scream and guttural growl tiptoes along the jagged edge of manic overdrive. The band matches his intensity, accelerating with power and speed on pit-movers “Let It Sleep,” “Circled By Wolves,” and “Just a Slave to Rock n’ Roll.” When it’s time for a breather, Asking Alexandria unleashes “Here I Am,” which shows Stoff can body a rigorous stadium anthem. “Send Me Home,” a weeper inspired by ruthless touring and missing loved ones, is the album’s most affecting track, an “Open Arms” for the metalcore set.