Of Love and Lunacy

Released in 2005, Of Love and Lunacy served as the major-label debut for Grand Rapids, Michigan's Still Remains. Coming at the height of the metalcore boom, the album distinguished itself through its heavy reliance on synthesizers and keyboards, a stylistic choice influenced by European bands like In Flames and Children of Bodom. Produced by GGGarth Richardson, the record features a polished, high-fidelity sound that helped propel the single 'The Worst Is Yet to Come' into heavy rotation on MTV2's Headbangers Ball. While often categorized as metalcore, the album leans heavily into melodic death metal territory, featuring intricate guitar harmonies and a structural complexity that surpassed many of their contemporaries. It remains a cult classic of the genre, representing the peak of the 'synth-core' sub-movement within the broader New Wave of American Heavy Metal.