Even given their outspoken history, it would've been unsurprising after recent events if For Today had chosen to quiet down a bit. The band has been on the rise for the last few years thanks to frequent appearances on Warped Tour and a fairly intense fan following, all the while never compromising their Christian beliefs. In 2012 those beliefs led to controversy when rhythm guitarist Mike Reynolds made comments on Twitter about homosexuality in the Christian faith. The group quickly responded with a video apology and offered their phone numbers to open a dialogue with fans about what had occurred, a personal response the likes of which are not often seen, one that should be commended in my opinion. Reynolds left the group shortly afterwards, and it would've been unsurprising if the group took time to regroup after the fracas. In fact, quite the opposite seems to have occurred, because they've come back with a new disc only a little over a year later, and their aim seems to be nothing less than inciting revolution.
Y'know, nothing too big.
Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if the band's aims on this album garner a bit more controversy over the fact that there doesn't seem to be much overt "faith" to the agenda on Fight the Silence. Not that these aren't causes Christian groups wouldn't or haven't gotten behind, but the protests and outcries put forward here seem to be coming from a general social sense of duty without as much overtly religious context. Personally, I think this is a strong, mature step for the band that shows trust in the audience. This isn't them backpedaling after the controversy, the instrumentation is too propulsive, too strong for a group lacking confidence. They've laid the theological groundwork, this is a big step out with that behind them to start tackling larger topics, topics like human trafficking (the major impetus for the album was a video singer Mattie Montgomery found online). This step is, as previously mentioned, accompanied by some of the best music from the band, particularly the rhythm section. New drummer David Puckett and bassist Brandon Leitru lend a sound of thunder to every one of the tracks. Lead guitarist Ryan Leitru actually shows off on a number of soloes, more than the average metalcore effort it felt like, and he joins in with new rhythm player Sam Penner as a vicious unit. All of them are led by Mattie Montgomery, who's been a vocalist that has impressed me greatly on guest appearances in the past and does not disappoint in his first full showcase. I've often said that I love metal singers more the better their clean vocals are, and Montgomery's got a pretty good singing voice. His screams are delivered with above average enunciation and plenty of power, which turns just about every song into a potential crowd singalong anthem. It isn't hard to picture songs like "Call to Arms" and "One Voice" stopping mosh pits so people can scream and pump their fists, and I think that's the greatest compliment For Today could be paid on this one. The death of Pete Seeger has raised some attention about the lack of social consciousness in rock today, and these guys will do a pretty good job of holding the torch for a certain crowd.
No comments:
Post a Comment