Refuse To Believe - Miss May I (Song Review)
“Refuse to Believe” is the 3rd single released off of the upcoming Miss May I album Rise of the Lion. The fourth studio album is set for release April 29th via Rise Records. This worldwide release will be supported by a brief headlining tour in April and May with support from For the Broken Dreams. This track may seem a bit different from what Miss May I have released in the past. In an interview with MetalHammer vocalist Levi Benton stated; “A lot of it could be considered left field for us… there’s some slower, heavier stuff, thrashier parts and no two songs sound the same.” That’s a hell of a statement to live up to. However “Refuse to Believe” seems to deliver on at least the former of Benton’s statement, with heavy, driving guitars and enough kicks on the bass drum to give you a nice back massage (I know this from experience). Reception from fans has been less than welcoming, which is just a given at this point; when a band changes their sound is when the butthurtedness comes out and is when everyone on YouTube magically becomes some kind of expert in music production. The song is being referred to by man as, “generic”, “boring” and some are bringing up how Benton’s vocals have changed, even going so far as to say he’s blown out his voice box. Very few comments are positive, however we’ve seen this before countless times. I believe the term “haters gonna hate” is appropriate. The negative response from fans is, for lack of a better term, ironic once you find out the meaning behind the album. In an interview with Absolutepunk.net, Benton stated; “Well, it’s a very fan based record. All the lyrics are letters back from letters we’ve gotten from fans and haven’t been able to write back. There’s some topics we haven’t faced, but things that have touched while reading letters in the past.” I’m sure the ‘fans’ that are being negative aren’t the same ones writing the band, though.
Rating: 3.5/5- Honestly I don’t see why everyone thinks it sucks. It’s really not a horrible song. There should be a sign somewhere saying ‘just because a band changes doesn't mean they suck’. It’s an awesome, kick ass song that I enjoy scaring my neighbors and people in the inner city of Baltimore with. I can say I’m a fan of the song. I haven’t heard any of their other tunes as of yet, but I’m confident they’re kick ass as well.
