The quintet I Am Alpha and Omega (IAAAO), based in their hometown of Flemington, New Jersey, have been through a lot since there formation in 2007. After asking the Lord for guidance on their next step as to the future of the band, they soon began to pursue the band full time. They then released a three song EP called The War I Wage to hold fans over for their debut full-length, The Roar And The Whisper.

IAAAO kick off the album with the intro "The Last Breath of Self-Expectancy." Just with the intro alone, we can tell how faith based IAAAO really are. The lyrics that come into play toward the end of the intro, which are sung with very aggressive vocals by Donny Hardy, as well as on the rest of the album, show just how faith-based the band are. The lyrics sing, "We pray Your presence come down, We pray Your presence come down, Upon this shell we call home." The band's faith is very evident throughout the whole album. The intro builds up and sets the stage for "The Lost And The Captor," a very well written, and well executed, song. However, the only complaint I have, with not only this song, but with the album as a whole, is that it's really nothing new.

While this album isn't genre defying, there is absolutely nothing wrong with it either. Songs like "My Greatest Need," with the use of acoustic guitar at the end, or "Irreversible," which could be considered the pop anthem of the album, show the band's diversity. On the other side, songs like "Deceiver," "The Bride" and "A Whistle Falls" show IAAAO's ability as to just how heavy they can play. It feels as though I Am Alpha and Omega are trying to break out of the mold that's been created by many bands similar to them. I say this because the album isn't just straight, in-your-face screams with guitar chugging and double bass the whole album; you get a chance to catch your breath a few times during the album, and it's during those times when the band shines. The very pop-ish ending to the album that is "Chasing" shows the band's worship side. Lyrics like, "In darker times I've tested Thee, I've run long and hard to find Your end, No matter how far or fast I go, You're always waiting to wrap Your arms around me," again, shows the band's evident strong faith, and it's a great way to end the album.

The Roar And The Whisper isn't a groundbreaking album that will defy its own genre, but any fan of screamo/hardcore music as a whole will definitely enjoy this record.

JFH Reader Review: written by Tyler Sharp, 1/15/12, for Jesusfreakhideout.com