{"id":17865,"date":"2014-10-22T14:20:31","date_gmt":"2014-10-22T14:20:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alreadyheard.com\/staging\/album-review-set-it-off-duality\/"},"modified":"2025-09-15T08:48:46","modified_gmt":"2025-09-15T07:48:46","slug":"album-review-set-it-off-duality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alreadyheard.com\/staging\/album-review-set-it-off-duality\/","title":{"rendered":"Album Review: Set It Off – Duality"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"image\"Sometimes the best way forward is to restart, reinvent and reidentify. Set It Off<\/strong>\u2019s second album ‘Duality’<\/em> grabs the rule book and tears it up to shreds. From their roots in atmospheric symphonic rock, Set It Off<\/strong> have transitioned towards snappy pop-punk which suits every member\u2019s versatile talents down to the ground.<\/p>\n

The highly anticipated follow-up to 2012\u2019s genre-bending ‘Cinematics’<\/em>, the Florida set\u2019s new release takes the form of a rock opera, inspired by soulful \u201890s R&B beats combined with their symphonic rock background. But don\u2019t mistake this newfound meaning with Set It Off<\/strong> softening their message – \u201dburn in hell\u201d<\/em>, \u201cbid your ass adieu\u201d<\/em> and a plethora of the band\u2019s customary threats break the surface of ‘Duality’<\/em> \u2013 testament to the album title, there\u2019s two sides to every story. In place of ‘Cinematics’<\/em>’ graphic depictions of revenge, ‘Dualit’y<\/em> presents numerous escape routes out of danger before \u201ckarma\u2019s gonna come collect your debt\u201d<\/em>. The band\u2019s teaser trailer suggests an impending concept video series centred on the band facing a blank masked enemy, fighting the idea of \u2018perfection\u2019 \u2013 this is worth every atom of hype.<\/p>\n

Their newfound R&B influences emerge vigorously through the anthemic \u2019Why Worry\u2019<\/em>, an infectious beat to get you on your feet to the tune of possibly the greatest pop-punk lyric \u2013 \u201csick of hearing this hakuna matata motto from people who won the lotto, we\u2019re not that lucky\u201d<\/em>. Carson\u2019s vocals take to the soulful intonations of pop-punk like symphonic ducks to water, his astounding range oozes versatility throughout \u2019Wolf In Sheep\u2019s Clothing\u2019<\/em>, driven expertly by drummer Maxx Danziger\u2019s faultless rhythm, it\u2019s hard to believe he once drummed for One Direction.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Set It Off<\/strong> have by no means abandoned their seductively symphonic background, opening the record with \u2018The Haunting\u2019<\/em>s surreal atmosphere carrying their traditional vengeful message \u2013 \u201cI will haunt your fucking dreams\u201d<\/em>. Straight from this atmospheric reflection of their past comes \u2019N.M.E\u2019<\/em>, a seething commentary on the state of affairs of life absorbed by social media and jealousy, laced with the catchiest pop \u2013punk nuances. \u2019Bleak December\u2019<\/em> puts a frostier, infectious spin on their traditional revenge narrative, holding nothing back on \u201chow full of shit you are\u201d<\/em> \u2013 whoever thought vengeance would be so addictive? The album\u2019s title track \u2019Duality\u2019<\/em> personifies Set It Off<\/strong>\u2019s career to date \u2013 a two-sided coin of revenge and madness. The old symphonic ethos re-emerges midway through the record to remind you where they\u2019ve come from and where they\u2019ve arrived \u2013 their best career move so far.<\/p>\n

\u2019Forever Stuck In Our Youth\u2019<\/em> unpredictably bursts out with a limitless punk appeal transcending youth itself, skilfully blending Dan Clermont and Zach DeWall\u2019s signature guitar trickery together with punchy pop beats, demonstrated further with the jaw-dropping solo of \u2019Ancient History\u2019<\/em>. The unstoppably optimistic \u2018Tomorrow\u2019<\/em> features the excruciatingly talented Jason Lancaster (ex-Mayday Parade<\/em>), otherwise known as the cherry on top of the beautiful Duality<\/em> cake, as if this album didn\u2019t already have enough astounding shout-along hooks. The most addicting track, however, comes from the summery ode \u2019Bad Guy\u2019<\/em>, depicting a one-sided relationship in the most unexpectedly optimistic way possible \u2013 if you\u2019re not grooving along with every available limb, you probably don\u2019t have eardrums.<\/p>\n

\u2019Miss Mysterious\u2019<\/em> closes the record flawlessly with a lingering medley of the best lines on the album – remember Fall Out Boy\u2019s \u2018What A Catch Donnie\u2019<\/em>? The beautiful sing-along gospel atmosphere of this ballad hinges on the saying \u201cif you love someone, let them go\u201d<\/em>, and no matter how many times you\u2019ve heard it before, it\u2019ll certainly sink in this time.<\/p>\n

For fans of Issues and Fall Out Boy, this new approach is fantastically creative, fresh, and completely flawless. It\u2019s about time the mould of pop-punk was broken and pushed into a catchier yet lyrically dark avenue, and Set It Off<\/strong> have done just that and made it look easy. Straight away, ‘Duality’<\/em> feels like a perfectly natural transition and it\u2019s now impossible to imagine them without it. The risk paid off and now Set It Off<\/strong> are at the height of their game, the only way is up and this album will remain the defining moment of their career.<\/p>\n

5\/5<\/p>\n

‘Duality’<\/em> by Set It Off<\/strong> is out now on Rude Records<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Set It Off<\/strong> links: Official Website<\/a>|Facebook<\/a>|Twitter<\/a><\/p>\n

Words by Ali Cooper (@AliZombie_<\/a>)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sometimes the best way forward is to restart, reinvent and reidentify. Set It Off\u2019s second album ‘Duality’ grabs the rule book and tears it up to shreds. From their roots in atmospheric symphonic rock, Set It Off have transitioned towards snappy pop-punk which suits every member\u2019s versatile talents down to the ground. The highly anticipated […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17866,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15,8181],"tags":[5879,4404,626,1577],"class_list":["post-17865","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-album-reviews","category-post","tag-album-reviews","tag-duality","tag-rude-records","tag-set-it-off"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nAlbum Review: Set It Off - Duality - Already Heard Staging<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Sometimes the best way forward is to restart, reinvent and reidentify. 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