So decided to do my first entry for Commuting Capriccio. So like the usual, I was on my way to work and stumbling through the playlist, deciding what to indulge before the commute was done. Whether it be the vitamin D, the morning cup of tea or just simply in the mood for some good ol' distortion, I ultimately went with Australia's FOR ALL ETERNITY.
Shane Carroll - Vocals | Michael Buckley - Drums/Vocals | Jeremy Mosiejczuk - Guitar | Nicholas Page - Guitar | ??? - Bass
The five piece group from Campbelltown have composed a great debut album for a sub genre (aka metalcore) that seems to be over saturated with anyone that can scream and play a breakdown. Some of you might argue these guys have an equation just like many other bands, but I feel it was the vocals and production values that caught my attention from the start.
Especially when listening to albums as a whole, the first few tracks will make or break me from listening to the rest of the album. With hundreds of albums coming out every year now, it's becoming quite demanding to sit down and listen to so many good albums, so your first few tracks best be catching attention. The album opens up with a good intro ("Born") build up and transitions fluidly into what I like to dub as 'show me what you got' track (aka "Vacant Room"). The dark and ominous vibe of the album continues into "Broken Hands" with a light melody guitar piece and then opening right into some guttural vocals and some precise drumming.
1. Born
2. Vacant Room
3. Broken Hands
4. The Wide Path
5. Solid Ground
6. Renewer
7. Bright Eyes
8. Awake To The Sound
9. Strength
10. All That Awaits
11. Beyond The Gates
12. Victory
FAE have chosen "Solid Ground" as the debut lyric video on Youtube:
Now I am still a fan of the album as a whole but this track kind of got under my skin as I listen to the clean vocals right off the bat. I think that the clean vocal range and delivery is one of the few parts of the album I don't really care for, as this really puts FAE into the same mix as many other metalcore bands. Agreeing with some other reviews of this album I have come across, this is the one part of the album I found to be over produced. Not knocking the drummer Mike Buckley and his vocal range/skills, just something to think about when hitting the studio for a sophomore album.
"Renewer" comes in again with a great guitar lick and creates a great base for melody. The clean vocals kick in once again but somehow I can deal with it a little more as the range or tune of the notes seems to be a tad deeper than previous tracks as the guitars in this track help carry much of the melody in the song, and backed by the guttural screams and drumming again.
"Bright Eyes" is a short but well deserved break in the album. Only 2:13 in length, it's the instrumental piece on the track that kind of gives people a mental break from focusing on lyrics and faster paced drumming, similar to a commercial break on a TV show. That's not to say that it shouldn't be ignored but it meshes in quite well with the follow up track "Awake To The Sound".
I really like the fact that FAE decided to end the album on a hard note with the closing track "Victory" because in the end, this album was a victory and should be treated as such. Well, that's my perspective of it at least. I would have opted for "Beyond The Gates" as the closing piece only because I am a fan of the piano after being pummeled for 11 tracks of everything the metalcore sub genre has to offer. I think this kind of sunk in for me after seeing NIN close their very long set with "Hurt". It was the end of the show and everyone was looking for that comedown of the night. That's how I envision albums, especially with a first go around/new experience.
In conclusion, I won't be giving albums ratings out of 5 or 10 because that's just subject to conflict and what my opinion of the album could be vastly different from your experience with it. I liked it, it gave me that extra step in my stride for the morning and was spun once again after work when I hit the gym. FAE...well done.
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