Steve Henderson
07/13/07, 09:22 AM
Chasing Victory - Fiends
Release Date: May 8th, 2007
Record Label: Mono Vs. Stereo
There is a reason that genres die. After the novelty of some new style fades, the entire fad goes to shit, and one-time fans are left with little more than a diluted version of what they came to love in the first place. And eventually, the talent pool becomes so shallow that even the strongest swimmers have a tough time treading water. Yes, nu-metal - I am looking at you. In kind, it is not much of a stretch either to say that screamo is now going the way of the buffalo as well. Thus, while Chasing Victory proved its screamo aptitude on I Call This Abandonment, the band has wisely chosen to grow up and break out for their recent follow-up, Fiends. In ditching the overwrought catharsis of their debut LP, the band has quite deftly exceeded all expectations, and has issued one of the year's best records in the process.
A quick look at the album artwork for Fiends yields quite a bit of insight into the record in question. Both are dark, brooding, cinematic, focused, but at the same time fresh. And really, a press of the 'play' button confirms this correlation. From the opening guttural screams and sludgy guitar churn of "Chemicals", it sounds like CV is up to the same old tricks, but later in the same track, when frontman Adam Harrell coolly slips into a spooky falsetto, the listener is exposed to the creative dichotomy present throughout Fiends. These are not convenient gimmicks, though, but instead, are creative twists that underscore the band's progression and imagination. Need more examples? Check out the opening brass blare on "Wolves" and see how it segues into more straight-forward alternative rock fare or sing along to the soaring pop choruses of "Queens." Observe the crackling percussion and jazzy guitar fuzz of "Janus" or the blistering hook of "Brides." Fear not, however - Chasing Victory has not forgotten how to rock faces off - see the blistering screams of "Zombies" or the dirty rock of "Kings" if you crave proof.
As good as Fiends is musically, the album is generally just as intriguing lyrically, touching on a host of issues dealing with sins, vices, and other sources of darkness. Case in point, "Wolves" is a slick discourse on the allure of a menacing female:
Everybody knows, everybody knows.
Everybody knows she's a riot when she's striking a pose.
Place your bets, place your bets,
On the girl in the short skirt showing off her assets.
They call her home wrecker, but she's not a humble beggar.
There's a closet full of skeletons an undertaker
Couldn't spot with a keen sense of dark apparitions.
Her lips are poisonous, but men'll die just to kiss 'em.
Stanzas like this show not only a penchant for eloquent turns of phrase, but also in concept, providing stances while nimbly avoiding the trappings of preaching. The same can be said for the extremely well-written "Chemicals":
Most lies, can put a man in a woman's burning fuse.
Closed eyes, can save a man from a woman's taste of fruit.
As long as you refuse to believe in the power, of cold showers,
You'll continue to excuse the receiving end of cowards.
Still, the band is not infallible. They wax cheesy on tracks like "Queens", where Harrell (still earnestly) wails, "I've got the keys to your heart/ and I'm coming insiiiiiiide!" A little too emo and melodramatic considering what the band is capable of but in the context of the album's finer samples, the offenses are ultimately forgivable.
When you get right down to it, if you are looking for a hell of a rock record with tons of lasting appeal, then you would do well to check out Fiends. There is enough hardcore influence on the album such that you are not going to bust your parents blasting the album in their Buick, but there are still enough ear-candied hooks to appeal to the softer side in all of us. In essence, it walks the line between the hard and soft, the black and white, almost perfectly, and in the process shows us a band that is spooling up for great things at the right time. If Fiends doesn't put Chasing Victory on everyone's radar, then there is something really wrong with the world. Buy this album. Now.
Lorene Drive, The Audition, Underoath, Letter Kills
Release Date: May 8th, 2007
Record Label: Mono Vs. Stereo
There is a reason that genres die. After the novelty of some new style fades, the entire fad goes to shit, and one-time fans are left with little more than a diluted version of what they came to love in the first place. And eventually, the talent pool becomes so shallow that even the strongest swimmers have a tough time treading water. Yes, nu-metal - I am looking at you. In kind, it is not much of a stretch either to say that screamo is now going the way of the buffalo as well. Thus, while Chasing Victory proved its screamo aptitude on I Call This Abandonment, the band has wisely chosen to grow up and break out for their recent follow-up, Fiends. In ditching the overwrought catharsis of their debut LP, the band has quite deftly exceeded all expectations, and has issued one of the year's best records in the process.
A quick look at the album artwork for Fiends yields quite a bit of insight into the record in question. Both are dark, brooding, cinematic, focused, but at the same time fresh. And really, a press of the 'play' button confirms this correlation. From the opening guttural screams and sludgy guitar churn of "Chemicals", it sounds like CV is up to the same old tricks, but later in the same track, when frontman Adam Harrell coolly slips into a spooky falsetto, the listener is exposed to the creative dichotomy present throughout Fiends. These are not convenient gimmicks, though, but instead, are creative twists that underscore the band's progression and imagination. Need more examples? Check out the opening brass blare on "Wolves" and see how it segues into more straight-forward alternative rock fare or sing along to the soaring pop choruses of "Queens." Observe the crackling percussion and jazzy guitar fuzz of "Janus" or the blistering hook of "Brides." Fear not, however - Chasing Victory has not forgotten how to rock faces off - see the blistering screams of "Zombies" or the dirty rock of "Kings" if you crave proof.
As good as Fiends is musically, the album is generally just as intriguing lyrically, touching on a host of issues dealing with sins, vices, and other sources of darkness. Case in point, "Wolves" is a slick discourse on the allure of a menacing female:
Everybody knows, everybody knows.
Everybody knows she's a riot when she's striking a pose.
Place your bets, place your bets,
On the girl in the short skirt showing off her assets.
They call her home wrecker, but she's not a humble beggar.
There's a closet full of skeletons an undertaker
Couldn't spot with a keen sense of dark apparitions.
Her lips are poisonous, but men'll die just to kiss 'em.
Stanzas like this show not only a penchant for eloquent turns of phrase, but also in concept, providing stances while nimbly avoiding the trappings of preaching. The same can be said for the extremely well-written "Chemicals":
Most lies, can put a man in a woman's burning fuse.
Closed eyes, can save a man from a woman's taste of fruit.
As long as you refuse to believe in the power, of cold showers,
You'll continue to excuse the receiving end of cowards.
Still, the band is not infallible. They wax cheesy on tracks like "Queens", where Harrell (still earnestly) wails, "I've got the keys to your heart/ and I'm coming insiiiiiiide!" A little too emo and melodramatic considering what the band is capable of but in the context of the album's finer samples, the offenses are ultimately forgivable.
When you get right down to it, if you are looking for a hell of a rock record with tons of lasting appeal, then you would do well to check out Fiends. There is enough hardcore influence on the album such that you are not going to bust your parents blasting the album in their Buick, but there are still enough ear-candied hooks to appeal to the softer side in all of us. In essence, it walks the line between the hard and soft, the black and white, almost perfectly, and in the process shows us a band that is spooling up for great things at the right time. If Fiends doesn't put Chasing Victory on everyone's radar, then there is something really wrong with the world. Buy this album. Now.
Lorene Drive, The Audition, Underoath, Letter Kills