Last year, the promising Chasing Victory released their debut EP A Not So Tragic Cover-Up on Mono Vs. Stereo Records. And after a year of nearly constant touring, they are ready to release their much anticipated full length debut, I Call this Abandonment.

From the opening seconds of "Oceans Away," the urgency level is set. Adam Harrell's vocals have matured, and he lets them loose like a wild animal. The music is much more aggressive than on their EP. The emocore elements are still very evident, but they are lost more often than not in the chaos that is I Call This Abandonment. It'd be wrong to label this album as hardcore, but the occasional breakdowns make it seem so right.

All of that aside, one of the album's highest points is actually when it decides to slow down. "The First Steps to Recovery" is a slow, pseudo-ballad about Christ taking us away from the worlds we create for ourselves, "Pack your bags. Here we go. Pack your bags. Here He comes. He's coming to take you away. The overall theme of I Call This Abandomment is…well, abandonment. More specifically, abandoning ourselves to gain Christ.

Though still not for everyone, Chasing Victory has matured enough to keep diehard fans happy, as well as gain more fans with their newfound accessibility. I Call this Abandonment is an excellent release that will appeal to most emocore and hardcore fans alike. Continue to keep an eye on these boys from Georgia. There's definitely something special about them.

- Review date: 10/02/05, written by Josh Taylor