In Fear and Faith - Imperial
Record Label: Rise Records
Release Date: June 15, 2010
When one thinks of Rise Records, one usually responds with a feeling that can only really be described by the words "eww" and/or "yuck." And your response, mostly, would be a fair and sane one (Attack Attack! where you at?!). However, In Fear and Faith are a different breed of Rise. Where Attack Attack! and a lot of their company are comparable to the brother or uncle you have that never finished high school and lives in his mother's basement, drinking all the milk, In Fear and Faith are the very successful relative who went to college and who works at NASA and sends you a hefty amount of cash every year in the Christmas card.
They garnered a lot of recognition with their debut, Your World on Fire, and rightfully so. It was a tremendous breath of fresh air for the metalcore genre, and it's just what the record label needed to set them apart. Imperial continues what Your World on Fire started, but with a more grand and epic sound from a band that's already beyond their years (and, honestly, way beyond most anyone on their label. Way beyond.) This is a hauntingly beautiful album. From the powerhouse of an opener "The Solitary Life" -- which mirrors a lot of their debut -- to the piano-ridden beauty of "Heavy Lies the Crown" to the extremely satisfying and, at times, insane closer "Live, Love, Redeux", there's never a single moment wasted; never a single moment that dulls the experience.
For all of its quiet and slow-paced tracks though, the album is still heavier than ever. Tracks like "Counselor" and "Bones" will bring out the head banger in all of us. But with heaviness comes structure. In fact, a genius display of structure. The band never give too much, but never leave you wanting. But, the quiet and surreal tracks may turn away some fans who only want heavy. But, in the words of Admiral Adama: "We have lost no one that cannot be replaced by someone loyal."
Production has never been better for this band. Where their previous seemed to lack the funds, this album is top-notch on a production level. Musically, this album is wonderful. The band relies a lot more on the piano on this album, and it works more than wonders. It gives the album just the touch of haunted creepiness while maintaining the all-in-your-face metal riffs and double bass, heart-stopping drums. Scott Barnes shows why he deserves to be the clean vocalist for this band. His voice has improved tenfold. Cody Anderson really tightens his screams up and incorporates a more high-pitched sound that actually works for the record.
This is the metalcore album we've been waiting for. Screw that. This is the album I've been waiting for; that I've been anticipating all year. And there's no disappointment here. This band shows why they deserve the recognition, and why they deserve the respect in a record label mostly lacking any respectable talent. Forget Attack Attack! (not like that's a problem for most people anyways), this is Rise's road to success. And it's a road with good intentions, and high expectations.
Great review! I will be picking up the album at Warped. For now I'm just satisfying my craving with Bones from the Warped compilation and Your World on Fire
Good, honest review. Good structure and length too. Work on the RIYL though, try putting other bands in there hahaha.
Love the record, it shows that they took a lot of time working on it and writing for it, and it has a draw to it with musicianship well above the rest of the junk on Rise's roster. These guys definitely deserve praise in this genre.
i need to listen to this album a couple more times but it didn't blow me away. I think the piano is really overused and at times it hardly matches up with the rest of the music. Dude is talented but it seems like all his parts sound the same. That said, I know nothing about the piano... but while technically impressive, it seemed really repetitive throughout the album
I don't get people's problems with them live, they sounded fine the two times I saw them. Oh well. Haven't heard this all the way through yet, but I did really like You're World On Fire, so maybe I should check it out?
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