aaamusic | On 12, Jun 2011

Over the years, Funeral For A Friend have ploughed a searing furrow through the face of rock, and time has done nothing if not leave a massive revolutionary scar that all the young subgenres can marvel at and admire secretly. By this, I mean to say that, yes, ‘Broken Foundation’ is a very good track.

Age has done nothing if not kick the band into full gear, and they launch this song with a nearly pyrotechnics-standard blast of sonic dynamite. Thrash metal guitar riffing and guttural bass rumbles blend with percussion that sounds like a machine gun fed through an octave-shifter. But behind this manic slam is a controlled yet undeniably fearsome mind-over-matter approach: the band are phenomenally tight, with rhythmic blasts and churning riffs, all blended with roaring vocals that don’t flop so much as flourish into an urgent singing voice that seems to carry the weight of the world with a raging passion. The guitar solo is a blinder, a great marriage of metal showmanship and bloody thunder workmanship, all falling into one last chorus frenzy and a succinct conclusive boom.

So, there you go. There is a reason Funeral For A Friend have their sonic DNA in 90% of post-hardcore/screamo/modern UK metal/etc etc. No, it’s not some twisted Kinsey-style conspiracy in musical creation. It’s because, well, they just are that good. If you were looking for that rare fix of genuinely good post-hardcore type metal, here it is. If you weren’t, check it out anyway, it’s worth lifting the veil of madness to see the well-oiled method inside.

Author: Katie H-Halinski