Album Review: No Need To Stay – Persona Obscura

Tyler H. October 13, 2015 198 Comments 260 views 0 likes

Average. Lackluster. Mediocre. These are just a few words that describe theatrical-core band No Need To Stay’s debut album Persona Obscura. The band offers their own brand of what is often dubbed theatrical-core. Bands like Crown the Empire, Ice Nine Kills, Famous Last Words have mastered the craft and it’s obvious that No Need To Stay takes influence from all of those bands.

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“Overall Persona Obscura is an album that despite some standout songs, is an effort that ultimately falls flat and ends up being very forgettable. .”

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The album starts off with the song ” ACT I:The Phantom.” The song is full of haunting gang choruses, subtle electronic elements and even some acoustic guitars thrown in. These elements are found throughout the album and for the most part are well executed. One of the things that became immediately apparent was the vocals on the album. Vocalist Asuka handles both scream and singing duties on the album. The vocals are probably one of the biggest downfalls of the album. The unclean vocals always feel abrasive and get hard to tolerate after prolonged exposure. The singing is not terrible but it sounds a little nasally. The combination of both comes out sounding very flat and uninspired.

No Need To Stay – Persona Obscura (Official Music Video)

Official Video for “Persona Obscura” by No Need To Stay. Get the album NOW: ❱❱ iTunes: http://smarturl.it/NNTSiTunes ❱❱ Google Play: http://smarturl.it/NNTSGoogle ❱❱ Deluxe Edition Box: http://smarturl.it/NNTSDeluxe Like us on Facebook: http://facebook.com/noneedtostay Follow us on Instagram: http://instagram.com/noneed2stay Oh doctor, please elaborate Why this pitch black soul has taken control over me?

It’s a shame about the vocals because the album has some great moments that are full of bouncy guitar riffs, catchy accompanying piano keys and fun choruses. Songs such as “ACT II: Persona Obscura”, “ACT IV: Mechanical Heart” and “ACT IX: The Undead Diner” are evidence of this. They are catchy songs that are ultimately held back by the lackluster vocals. It’s evident that the band has potential and they are by no means a terrible band, just incredibly average.

Overall Persona Obscura is an album that despite some standout songs, is an effort that ultimately falls flat and ends up being very forgettable. Its difficult to get through front to back without finding yourself getting distracted. It’s an incredibly forgettable album that has a few standout songs. No Need To Stay is a band filled with potential and one that you will want to keep an eye on for future releases despite their lackluster debut. Persona Obscura comes out October 30th and will be available on all digital outlets.

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• Genre: Theatrical | Post-hardcore
• Label: Independent
• Release Date: October 30th, 2015
• Connect: Facebook | Twitter
• Purchase: iTunes
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