Funeral For A Friend - Memory And Humanity

Roadrunner Records . 10/08/2008 . written by Oliver . genre: Metal/ Emo . official FFAF sponsor: Vestalwatch.com

UK Post-Hardcore-Rockers Funeral For A Friend formed in 2001 and released four full-lenght albums including the newest record "Memory And Humanity". FFAF was the most recognizeable Rock band from Europe once. Their music was known for beeing pretty hard and emotional at once. Their breathtaking major-label debut "Casually dressed in deep conversation" from 2003 is not compareable with the new record. Today the band has left the contract with Atlantic records and got signed with Roadrunner. Funeral was known as Screamo band in the past, but they have left that pattern very fast. Their last two releases (Hours - 2005/ Tales don't tell themselves - 2007) already did not contained these overwhelming Screamo passages. On September 8th Gareth Ellies Davies left the band and got replaced trough Gavin Burrough on bass. Ellies got married and lives in America. He was not motivated any more to travel the continents to play with the band. But he did played bass on the new record and he did backing-vocals on all tracks. "Memory And Humanity" is really a remarkable album. The first aspect that I recognized about this release are the super-strong guitars. These really remind me to a metal-band. During the bands history the songs have become much more softer and less harder. So the songs are on the new album. The melodies and especially the refrains are just breathtaking. There are a few outstanding tracks to find on the record, that have such a killer-beautiful refrain, like "To die like mouchette" or "Maybe I am?". These tracks are so beautiful and Matt Davies' distinctive voice fits so well on these wonderful songs. "Maybe I am?" really reminds me a lot to Hoobastank. The guitars and the drums sound remind me so well to that great Californian band. I am really into Funeral's Screamo-less-music style. Unfortunately a few songs turned out really boring on the new release. The dominant guitars totally rob away the place for Matt Davies voice. But there are a few good songs, like the ones I´ve listed already and a couple more, like "Someday The Fire..", which is a great track with a flawless refrain that reminds me a lot to an old FFAF hit single, called "History". "Beneath The Burning Tree" is the most well known track, because it got posted on the official FFAF Myspace account. I was not very satisfied when I was listening the first time to that track; today I really love the driving guitars and the slamming drums. "Charlie Don´t Surf" is the most different song on the CD to find, because it is such a calming and relaxt tune with swinging guitars and a danceable mid-tempo-beat. The record ends with a driving tune, called "Ghosts" and another track, called "Constant Resurrections". Both tracks worked out pretty good and I like the fact that Matt Davies as singer dominates the set and not the instruments. A passage in the last track even got filled out with electronic drum work created by a computer.

.: Post a comment on the record :.

Rank: (4out of 5)

Buy this CD at: