The line “Yet I’m nothing more than a line in your book” from Funeral For A Friend’s seminal track ‘Juno’ (later re-released as ‘Juneau’) spoke to my teenage heart more than most. It was my MSN screen name, it was the line I screamed out during their live sets, and it rung out in my ears most days on the way to school. No doubt the overwhelming majority of people reading this review join me in these memories.
Thirteen year have passed since and Funeral For A Friend are set to release their seventh studio album, ‘Chapter And Verse’ this January. Gone are the days of their heart soothing anthems, the theatrical bridges and the arena shows. What we have now is an increasingly aggressive and direct post-hardcore band who have moved their focus into issues such as social equality, feminism, and religion. As a result this album becomes a rapid rant at everything that’s wrong with modern society. Lead single ‘You’ve Got A Bad Case Of The Religions’ is the perfect example of this. It’s quick, raw, and makes an instant statement. Vocalist Matt Davies-Kreye now snarls the majority of his lyrics with a real bitterness, a huge contrast to his earlier approaches. You’ve then got the album stand out track in ‘Pencil Pusher’. It’s the huge guitar riffs, the pounding bridge, and the hammering drumbeat that make it so appealing.
‘You Should Be Ashamed Of Yourself’ then tackles the interesting subject of feminism and gender equality in society. The heart and intent here should definitely be applauded, especially as a number of prominent US metal-core bands find it increasingly necessary to degrade women with their choice of merchandise designs. Musically it’s exceptional, however at times the lyrics would be better suited to a GCSE sociology class. Whilst it’s pro-feminism there’s also a dig at those with radicalized views who believe that all men are bastards regardless. The line “just because I’m born with a dick doesn’t mean I’m a misogynist” could be expressed far more eloquently, for example.
From there ‘Chapter and Verse’ starts to lose its appeal though, sadly. Whilst the intensity continues it can be hard to pin-point any really awe-inspiring moments, both musically and lyrically. Again the sentiment behind ‘Inequality’ can only be applauded, however we’ve heard bands deal with this subject matter in a far more effective way. Of course this doesn’t mean that Funeral For A Friend should return to penning only heart breaking anthems, but it does mean that they’re now riding the imaginary train rather than driving it as they once were.
TOM BECK