With the release of their Solid State debut, Suffering the Loss, this metalcore quintet pulls no punches and delivers the goods. The record punches the listener square in the face from the first few notes of opening track “State of Mind,” one of the best cuts here, and simply does not let up from that point on. Vocalist Andrew’s raspy growls sounds reminiscent of now-defunct Sacramento-based hardcore outfit FOCAL POINT, while the tight breakdowns mirror old school HATEBREED and even allude to some SLAYER worship, namely with the gut-wrenching “Carried Away.” FIGURE FOUR’s rythym section, namely guitarist Metal Mel, definitely have done their heavy metal homework, expanding the realm of metalcore with some seriously punishing riffs in second track “The Loss” that sound not far from labelmates THE AGONY SCENE. However, what FIGURE FOUR have in muscle, they lack in arrangements. Song structures sometime seem a bit awkward, shifting tempos a few too many times throughout some of the songs, resulting in some moments that definitely could’ve been pulled off with more precision. Despite a few flaws, FIGURE FOUR is hot on the trails of BELOVED as being the newest band to watch out for in the coming years. “Suffering the Loss” is a crushing blend of respectable styles that is sure to entice many metalheads and hardcore warriors alike. (Solid State)