ALBUM REVIEW: The Breathing Method - After Everything Else

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Hailing from the West Coast of Scotland, Ayrshire's The Breathing Method offer up their debut album After Everything Else, citing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Korn, Therapy, Stone Sour and Helmet among their influences and some of these really show through over these 11 songs. 

Opening with an inspirational quote on the reasons for being in a band, Hope for a Better Day starts the album, and the Nirvana influence is very much in evidence. I felt the music was a little simplistic, slightly disjointed as the rhythm is quite stop/go, but as an opener it’s not a bad start. 

The lyrics are the real strength of this album, covering themes like the mundane banality of modern life, the highs and lows of everyday routine, personal battles against anxiety and depression of daily existence, which is evident through some of the the song titles ( Demons, Secrets, Unbearable, Inside Darkness and Disappointed) 


The Grunge theme runs through most of the tracks on offer, with occasional forays into hard rock and a bit of punk here and there, but the self-proclaimed “standout” track Demons sounded to me in part a little too close to Oasis’s Wonderwall, although the poignant lyrics and use of cut up conversations, all a bit Dark Side Of The Moon, really does help lift this track, adding to the disquiet of the song. 

The rhythm guitars of Jamie Haining (also backing vocals) are in parts heavy and chugging, the drums of Duncan Brown are pounding and some of his fills are spectacular, with the bass of Gee McClure (also backing vocals) providing a great foundation for the rest of the band. Some of his solo runs are amazing. It's the lead guitar work of James Dougan that really lift the songs, both delicate and elegant. My biggest struggle was the vocals of Scott Booth which although raw felt rather  one dimensional, rarely straying from a raspy shout that sometimes presents at odds with the music and backing vocals. 


My personal favourite track was Burden, a much harder sounding song than the rest of the album, but then, that is my preference musically. 

Overall this album wasn’t for me, but if you like hard rock tinged grunge punk, give it a try.

Review by Andrew Matthews
After Everything Else is released on 24th January 2025

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