Album: Odd How People Shake
Label: Equal Vision/Rise Records
Web: [url]www.marchofflames.com[/url] (for songs: [url]www.purevolume.com/fearbeforethemarchofflames[/url]
Adam Fisher- guitar/vocals
Brandon Proff - drums
Dave Marion- screams
Mike Madruga - bass
Fear Before the March of Flames began in July 2002 in a Denver, Colorado suburb. After less than a year in exitence, they recorded their debut cd "Odd How People Shake" and released it on Rise Records. Eventually, the band was picked up by Equal Vision, home to Alexisonfire and Coheed and Cambria. In June 2004, it was re-released complete with live videos in a digi-pack.
Looking upon the cd, you can get a sense of the chaos that is Fear Before the March of Flames. However many artist attempts at being chaotic yet listenable usually doesn't work....does FBTMOF pull it off? The first song,
Fashion Tips Baby is fully of dancy riffs and has great scream/sing trade off. Dave shows off not only his lighter scream but also a very dark almost death-metalish one. The guitar switches riffs frequently but it all seems to work perfectly. (Now, one note....the lyrics are in the booklet. But they are completly out of order, and sometimes they dont even say all of the lyrics, it can be confusing.)
Go Wash Your Mouth...I Don't Know Where It's Been kicks in next, slower than the first song but still keeping an almost chaotic feel to it. As it ends, the soft withdawn beginning to
Given To Dreams begins (however it is somehow attached to the end of track 2....) and is a nice break from the usual sound:
She cried when she found it. It's feathers were matted and pressed to its side.
It's wings were no longer able, still she begged it to fly.
It's body as frail as paper and wet from her tears
She knelt in the damp grass, praying it to heaven
gently pressing it head to her heart
Stereo sound is perfect for
Given To Dreams....as soon as it kicks in Dave's screams come out one speaker, and then the other..."The Devil's in/ The Daughters Room" and then, both vocalists share together in chaotic harmony "The will be no second knife (There will be a second knife)".
Girls Got A Face Like Murder is another short song (under 2 minutes) and kicks off with fast riffs....but slows down. It's not the highlight of the cd, but it holds its own.
The Libson Girls, Oh The Libson Girls shows off the dual vocal attack that Adam and David have. Instead, like so many other bands, trading just singing/screaming they both scream together, with very different screams. Before you can take a breath,
The 20th Century Was Entirely Mine engulfs your speakers with Adam and David again trading off screams/screams and scream/singing at just the right moments. The beautifully written
Sarah Goldfarb, Where Are Your Manners again shows of the lyrical talent possessed by the two writers (although in this case, Adam). The simple guitar opening of
On The Brightside, She Could Choke leads you to, most likely, the best song on this cd. All David screams is "As he's dying in his dreams, I hope you're choking in your sleep. Try and Breath. Justice push the pillow down" but it never gets old. Adam comes in with amazing lyrics of his own:
"My sweet I wish you the best in your sleep. Im dragging you down to my dreams. Lay your head down try to rest"
"You left him sweating summer nights
Face Down: Foreplay with the streets
A salt to garnish his wounds
and you just danced your way home"
I bet you love this don't you.
Now peel back the skin dear, peel back his skin
and he smiles and he's only smiling to deny the pain
Easily a good catchy song to sing alone to.
Motelroom.Grandpiano can't live up to the previous song, but it definetly holds its own. The final song,
What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas is a good closer for the cd, with a lot of start/stop guitar work as well as some weird noises tossed in. As it ends, the 8-minute long piano ending, composed for guitar, helps close off the cd well. It's kind of ironic that such beautiful piano driven instrumental would close such a brutal and chaotic record, but it works.
Rating: 4/5
Recommended Tracks: Fashion Tips Baby, The Libson Girls Oh The Libson Girls, On The Brightside She Could Choke
For Fans of: The Blood Brothers...these guys really come onto their own though, its hard to compare them to anyone. check out their purevolume.com site...it has 4 tracks from the cd, and 2 from their new one "Art Damage" coming out September 7th.
