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Senses Fail - The Fire

Rating

RIYL

Finch
Alexisonfire
Story of the Year
Silverstein

Release Date

10/26/2010

Label

Vagrant Records

Tracklist

1. The Fire
2. Saint Anthony
3. New Year’s Eve
4. Safe House
5. Coward
6. Landslide
7. Headed West
8. Lifeboats
9. Nero
10. Irish Eyes
11. Hold On

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Recent Ratings
Mike Duchnowsky	reispa
benny06	tim
Aaron Yarborough	Rick Gebhardt

Senses Fail are more or less journeymen in a music scene ripe with new acts and EP releasing wannabies. A band that has only been around since 2002, they have made a name for themselves with a polished style of post-hardcore that garners both anthem-like choruses, raunchy riff-based guitar, and sing-scream styled vocals. Their sound has changed since the band's inception and debut EP, From the Depths of Dreams, but has remained rather consistent over the course of their last three releases. 2006’s Still Searching remains Senses Fail’s most acclaimed release and still sets the bar for their accomplishments to this point. The band vowed it would rebound from a woeful third full-length, Life is Not a Waiting Room, and set upon the world its best record to date. That record, The Fire, released in late October, continues the trend set before it and paves a trail for a band back on their game.

The Fire starts off with one of the more powerful tracks on the record, suitably titled “The Fire.” It shows off the traits that have made Senses Fail a powerhouse within the genre and showcases lead singer Buddy Nielsen at his very best. Some of the standout tracks that lie within the first half of the album are “Saint Anthony,” which is the album’s first single, “New Year’s Eve,” and “Coward.”

“Landslide,” the album's sixth track, comes off as Nielsen’s most honest moment on the record. His lyrics and tone leave the listener with a somewhat humble feeling after hearing him plea to, “Start living, because my [his] life is passing me [him] by.” That track leads the listener into the second half of the record which, much like the first half, is laden with vigorous guitar riffs and sing-a-long choruses. “Headed West” could be a future single, as the chorus rings in what the masses could grow to love about this band -- the huge choruses.

By the time the listener gets to the final few tracks on the album, though, an overwhelming feeling starts to take over. Have I heard this album before? Isn't that chorus structure in another song? These are all thoughts that might come to mind if you've listened to their discography with any attentiveness. This album bears a striking resemblance to Senses Fail’s past two records, in that it doesn't stray too far from the beaten path. They do what they do and do it well, but at a certain point songs start to blend together and feel way too familiar. Although things may start to feel this way, the album does remain an enjoyable listen from start to finish. I mean, let’s be honest, listeners don’t appreciate Senses Fail for their ability to evolve or reinvent the wheel; it’s simply their ability to make the wheel that much better than the rest.

--Bryan Myers

Author

b_myers

Last updated: 01/11/2011 09:40AM

Comments

Rick Gebhardt

12/17/2010

05:35AM

Age: 31

Location
Minnesota

I don't know what it is about these guys, but every album they put out I am anxious to hear and then when I finally do I'm bored to tears. Each and every release they've put out I end up feeling so completely underwhelmed. It's like they've consciously decided to NEVER attempt to grow and just churn out the exact same crap over and over and over and over.

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