Review Summary: Welcome to the Masquerade...trust me, you'll have a damn good time.
Thousand Foot Krutch has never really been a band that has stood out in the music industry particularly well. What I mean by this is that they haven’t made an extremely groundbreaking effort in their music, which is pretty much why they aren’t the most popular Christian rock band out there, even if they are one of the few that did end up making it in the mainstream world. While
Phenomenon was a very good release on their part and
The Flame in All of Us did show a change in direction that was needed for the band, they never really had anything that was extremely memorable. That’s where
Welcome to the Masquerade comes in, as it’s not only the best record that TFK has released to date, but it’s probably one of greatest Christian rock albums out there, period. Not only does it cover what these guys have been working on since their previous release, but it’s also the same band that many fans have known to love and enjoy ever since they first listened to them. And you know what; it works so damn well that it’s very hard to compare other albums by other Christian bands in general.
With that being said,
Welcome to the Masquerade is a fresh new start for Thousand Foot Krutch. Bringing in the heavy riffs from
The Flame in All of Us and the catchiness and energy from
Phenomenon, this particular release is practically a perfect mix of old and new and very rarely does that happen in music in general. While the sound isn’t something we’ve heard before, it’s the style that TFK does in the music that makes this so enjoyable. The style of this album in particular like a nu-metal/alternative rock/hip-hop kind of mix, in which several songs contain short guitar riffs along with bursts of energy and others with the typical melodies that we’ve heard before and yet never truly feels clichéd nor repetitive.
Welcome to the Masquerade takes risks of going overboard with their synths, electronics, and occasional cheese in the lyrics but never goes to a point where it effects them negatively, or fatally for that matter. Trevor McNaevan’s vocals are as smooth as ever, never feeling forced nor strained (even with occasional screams now and then) and shows clear signs of improvement over the years. Both the guitars and the drums are aggressive on the more up-beat and heavier tracks and feel smooth and clean on the slower songs.
When it comes to the actual content within the album, I can’t find a single song that I can really call “bad.” Literally every song deserves a place on the album for a good reason. The album starts off with the title track,
Welcome to the Masquerade, showing the heavy riffs that are well executed and the beat is so damn catchy that it’s hard not to like it. Another song that brings similar elements out is
E for Extinction, which is easily best song on the album. The vocals on both of these pieces are excellent as they’re not only smooth, but also hit their notes aggressively when needed. The lead single
Bring Me to Life along with
E for Extinction and
Outta Control are the most forceful songs in the album, fast and furious as they are, making them easy listening. Other songs
Watching Over Me,
Looking Away,
Forward Motion,
Already Home shows the band at their lightest and contains rather meaningful lyrics, and also brings out an emotional side for the band that we don’t see that often. If there is really any song that I can say some listeners might not enjoy as much is
Smack Down due to its rather cheesy clichéd style both lyrically and musically, but even so, it’s still a good track to say the least.
It’s very hard to condemn
Welcome to the Masquerade and for a good reason. There isn’t anything major that affects the album in a negative way other than that the sound isn’t that original. But even so it won’t bother listeners to a point where they’ll go on saying “Come on, give us something new!” This album is the biggest peak in Thousand Foot Krutch’s career musically speaking.
Welcome to the Masquerade brings out the best in TFK and it seems as if it can only get better. Not only will this record pull in older fans, but it will pull in newer fans that might as well enjoy almost every second of this record with a passion. It’s a wonderful, powerful, and extremely enjoyable record, which may be an understatement. Go and listen to this album now!
Recommended Songs:
Welcome to the Masquerade
Bring Me to Life
E for Extinction
Forward Motion
Outta Control
Already Home
