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Back in familiar territory with Tooth & Nail Records, Project 86’s fifth album seems to balance its time between settling into an established feel and poking into some new directions.  The disc’s overall sound seems to blend traces of its two predecessors, Songs to Burn Your Bridges By, and Truthless Heroes, being slightly reminiscent of both, yet fairly unique in some sort of unexplainable, subliminal way. 

The quality of the album’s lyrics remains at the rather high standard Andrew Schwab set for himself early on in the band’s career.  Whether poetic and somewhat veiled or up front and straightforward, these are words worth paying attention to and considering.  The vocal delivery is arguably better than ever, feeling both tighter and more versatile.  There is a significant amount of melodic singing here, which may seem a bit odd to old fans, but it is simply too good to think negatively about.  In fact, the mellower songs of the album, such as “Something We Can’t Be” and “All of Me” are actually really catchy. 

Similarly, the musical side of things is also what one has come to expect from Project.  Every part is well written and clearly and expertly executed.  On a technical aspect, the band seems to have taken to using unconventional time signatures with this album.  Unless I miss my mark, “Necktie Remedy” repeatedly switches between two time signatures at several points throughout the song, one of which is actually rather unsettling (in a good way).  When considering that there are not really too many bands willing to use such techniques, this is actually a fairly daring move on the band’s part which demands no small amount of respect.

Amidst all this praise, though, it must be noted that, as a longtime Project fan, "…And the Rest Will Follow" just feels odd somehow.  My knee-jerk reaction was “Hey, this sounds a lot like Truthless Heroes.”  After a more careful listen, the similarity seemed less clear, and traces of Songs… started to show themselves.  Quite honestly, it feels like the album tries to find some sort of middle ground between the two, but does not quite make it.  Perhaps it is simply a matter of personal expectations gone awry, but the album as a whole just does not totally live up to its predecessors.  It is almost there, but a touch shy of the mark.  Nevertheless, this is a really good album that definitely deserves your time.

Joel Roddin 10/8/2005

Project 86 has become a well-oiled machine; with the release of ...And the Rest Will Follow, they've pumped out their slickest, most consistent material to date. The new songs lean slightly towards the melodic, but the alternative/hard-rock sound the band has touted over the past few releases is not sacrificed. The songs are still epic, head-pounding, and wrenchingly brutal musically and lyrically. ...And the Rest Will Follow is both the Project 86 we've come to expect, with hints of the Project 86 yet to come.

2004's Songs to Burn Your Bridges By was a somewhat disproportionate record, not lacking in good songs, but lacking in cohesion and consistency. It resulted in a record that was slightly anticlimactic as a whole, yet still relatively impressive when taken track-by-track. All of these ingredients have been addressed for the new release. The band has kept a closer eye on how the album works as a whole, producing a much more careful build in the order of songs and a steadier atmosphere throughout this project.

...And the Rest Will Follow never loses its steam. The opening tune, "Sincerely, Ichabod," cranks up the record with the band's common spoken/sung lyrical deliveries and sustained song breaks that, despite being a regular trick in the book, still manage to slam you back in your seat, gasping for respite, as Schwab screams the line "OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!" And off the record goes, a cinder box of engaging and sometimes catchy rock anthems, with only minor hiccups along the way.

It is possible that the band's sound has become too perfect; the record is a glossy chrome when compared to the gritty, dirt-under-the-nails masterpiece, Drawing Black Lines, the new record's most similar sibling in the Project 86 catalogue.  Combined with the slightly more digestible melodic song writing, the super-slick production tends to soften the record's overall potency by a small amount.

If Truthless Heroes dealt with mankind's hollowness in sinful living, and Songs to Burn Your Bridges By a wake up call to find security from sin, than ...And the Rest Will Follow deals with the action of finally cutting oneself from sin.  It is thematically a record of finality for the sinful self- where past songs such as "Caught in the Middle" lamented over brokenness and lack of clarity, new songs such as "All of Me" appeal for wholeness and new life, with other tracks singing of the cutting act itself.

There are a couple of references to Drawing Black Lines within the new record, one found right from the get-go and the other tucked into the final track. The two simpler, slower-paced melodic sweeps that are "Something We Can't Be" and the title-track serve virtually the same effect as the interludes in Truthless Heroes, establishing and deepening atmosphere.

Is ...And the Rest Will Follow Project 86's best record to date? Despite possible over-production, it very well could be. It's undoubtedly a great release, mixing many of the best aspects of each of their previous records into an exciting whole. ...And the Rest Will Follow is yet another Project 86 release to get pumped about.

Jonathan Avants 10/19/05