"Bridges Will Burn" is the four-song EP debut of promising metalcore band Rise to Remain. All four are solid, starting and finishing with spark-cascading leads and fairly compelling riffs. Ben Tovey and Will Homer are a guitar duo to watch. If pressed, I'd choose the opening title track as my favorite - - but the three others are strong runners up. It will be interesting to see if Rise to Remain can maintain this level over the course of an entire album release.

The music style is kind of a shotgun blast of metal influences, ranging from In Flames to Scar Symmetry to Trivium to Evanescence. (reviewer's note: yes, I do compare lots of bands' sounds to In Flames - - but I think that says more about the scene than about my humble expertise). Even with that myriad of influences, the overall sound remains consistent, and I would hope for a deeper level of diversity on future releases.

I foresee this band creating some buzz, earning a small fanbase, but neither the performers nor the songs on "Bridges Will Burn" display enough unique or original or boundary-pushing characteristics to reach the highest level. That said, the guys' show plenty of energy and talent, and if pedigree counts for anything, it would be foolish to doubt their potential.

You see, I gave the EP a few listens, then looked up the band member names to write the review, only to learn that vocalist Austin Dickinson is the son of Iron Maiden's iconic vocalist, Bruce Dickinson. Kudos to RtR and management for seemingly downplaying the connection. There are almost no similarities between the band's music or father and son's vocals, but it's still an interesting point of trivia, especially for Bruce Dickinson's fans. Maybe someday we'll see an Austin Dickinson collaboration with Lauren Harris, son of Maiden's legendary bassist, Steve Harris?

Anyway, if you have a taste for fast Metal and can tolerate stuff heavier than Iron Maiden, then I recommend the Rise to Remain EP. It's worth a listen.