In Fear And Faith – Symphonies EP
Record Label: Rise Records
Release Date: May 3, 2011
A different side of In Fear And Faith, Symphonies is a collection of piano renditions of seven of their songs. The main change in the sound – aside from the instruments of course – is the fact that screamer Cody Anderson is no longer in the band. As a result, Scott Barnes has taken over the screaming duties, in addition to clean vocals, in what is actually a pleasant change. The instrumental “Novus Initium” sets the tone for the EP, with an eerie machine-tinged opener. The piano version of these tracks often creates a new atmosphere, wholly prevalent on the haunting rendition of “The Taste Of Regret” as the resonating screams of “worth it all!” are chilling.
Here, tracks such as “Bones” are actually better than the original, as I’m one of the people who didn’t like the general sound of Imperial. Perhaps this ideal change is due to Barnes’ cutthroat screams, with each one becoming more haunting than the last. On the other hand, his clear vocals have clearly grown in the past year, evident on the crushing rendition of “The High Life,” where his screams also shine as he yells “just because I’m not smiling doesn’t mean I’m about to go!” at full force. The fan favorite “The Road To Hell Is Paved With Good Intentions” is much different than the original, as the more relaxed, mellow, and atmospheric hue add to the emotional impact of the track, even more so than on the original.
Lastly, “Silence Is Screaming” is as soft as it gets here, proving an entirely different view of In Fear And Faith, as the track is solely propelled by the range of Barnes above calming piano play. As the EP closes, the resulting outcome is a different view of In Fear And Faith, as it sets them aside from others in their genre by a landslide. Even if you, like me, were lukewarm about Imperial, this symphonic EP may change your mind about the band – in a good way – as it’s the most creative offering yet.
I loved Imperial, obviously. I've been very impressed with what I've heard from this so far. I'll probably write a review for this as well. This band just has never failed to impress me.
do you think the band did this as a quick cash-in?
Far from it...we even funded most of this ourselves. It was just something we REALLY wanted to do, thought and talked about it for years...and once I shattered my foot and was forced to stay home for 2 tours and MONTHS.
I wish such a thing as a "quick cash in" existed in this industry, haha ;)
I have to admit I was not fan of IFAF but after the new single on AltPress... I wanted to hear this and I wanna hear Caleb because he is a great young talent in the scene.
Can't wait for this, the songs I've heard so far are amazing renditions. Scott's clean vocals are amazing, and I gotta say I'm impressed with his screams as well. I'm more a fan of softer, more clean vocals anyways. So this is nice to hear. Every member in this band is a talented musician and I think a lot of people underestimate them. Ramin's a badass on keys btw.
It was an honor to be on another album by IF&F. I love these guys and I know how hard Ramin and Scott especially worked to make this something epic, and something that would stand out in our scene. I think it takes balls to go from being a heavy band to releasing an entire EP opposite of what has made your band up to this point. I'm proud of the guys and know that no matter what people might say, this is one of many reasons this band has always stood out to me. Love you guys :)
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