Something tells me that 2003 is going to be the year of the post-hardcore band. At the minute labels seem to be snapping them up left, right and centre with certain bands creating quite a buzz. One of those is Senses Fail who released a limited edition EP on the little known US label ECA Records. This EP, ‘From The Depths Of Dreams’, was only released on a small scale, but word got out about the band and Drive Thru Records came knocking. Blown away by their live show, Senses Fail were snapped up to the DTR roster and interest in the band went sky-high. Indeed an extra pressing of the EP had to be made to cater for demand. And if you want a copy of this EP in its original ECA format you may be in for a shock. The label has recently stated that no more will be printed off, so as soon as they are out of stock that’s your lot.
I’m lucky enough to have a copy and it’s no wonder why DTR became interested. If you like Finch you’ll love Senses Fail. Combining the power of hardcore with the pop-melodies that made Nate Barcalow’s crew so loveable, Senses Fail combine the same to great effect. That’s not to say there’s any copying going on, but the two bands do share some similarities. It’s Deftones style stuff but far poppier – essentially what we have is pop-hardcore. The amazing EP opener ‘Stephen’ starts off with the refrain of “goodbye” repeated mantra-like over and over again. There’s screams that sound like something out of a horror movie one minute, then sweet singing and melodies the next. And let’s not forget some bone crushing riffage and hard-hitting drums. Creating a sound that rocks better than a small child on a rocking horse, Senses Fail have formed an accomplished sound on ECA’s small budget.
The fantastic singalong ‘Free Fall Without A Parachute’ has lead singer Buddy Nielsen screaming out his guts one minute, then singing along to the sweetness of the chorus within a heartbeat. And the bittersweet backing vocals of Katie Friel act as the perfect foil for the harshness of the song. Of course guitarists Garrett and Dave bellow their bowels too, creating a bloody mess which leads nicely into track three, ‘Bloody Romance’, which comes across like The Movielife in a fist-fight down a darkened alley. It’s the juxtaposing of the singing with the hardcore riffs that comes across best and really makes the Senses Fail sound. Buddy’s vocals are again a standout, trading blows with the riffs and taking it all on the chin.
‘Dreaming A Reality’ is the first song to not blow you away from the word go, instead taking its time to blow up before knocking you square on the jaw. But when it finally hits you can feel the pit slam with the sheer ferocity the band throw themselves into. The arpeggioed intro to ‘The Ground Folds’ merely acts as a foil for the intermittent guitar riffs that palm-mute their way through the verses, on a track which is still great but at the same time probably doesn’t quite match up to the other tracks here. ‘One Eight Seven’ however is mindblowing. Beginning like something from the Jimmy Eat World record ‘Clarity’, Buddy again shows his vocal range before the bass builds up and the guitars send the sound through seven shades of shit. If Senses Fail can capture the intensity they create on record into the live show, we have one hell of a band on our hands. Oh, and check out the nod to Bon Jovi too with the “shot through my heart” lyric towards the end.
So Senses Fail are definitely one band I’ll be keeping an eye on next year, when their debut album is released on Drive Thru. But one final thing the band should note – please, please do something about the artwork and inlay booklet because this EP has quite frankly the worst I’ve come across in a long, long while… Other than that, this is one of the best and freshest EPs I have come across this year and leaves me eagerly anticipating their next release.
Paul.