Review Summary: Simply put, this is Funeral For A Friend's best album
"
Welcome Home Armageddon" is Funeral For A Friend's fifth release. Accused by many fans of regressing since their debut "
Casually Dressed & Deep in Conversation," the band managed to generate some buzz last year with their well-received EP "
The Young And Defenseless." Since two of the tracks from that EP appear on this album, it would be pretty safe to assume that they share similar styles. And that they do.
What stands out the most about this release would have to be the guitar-playing. It is excellent- very precise and well-performed- although really, all of the instruments hold their own. The drumming is impressive, the bass can actually be heard throughout the album, and the production is also fantastic. All of the ingredients are there for an excellent album, and that is exactly what Funeral For A Friend have produced with "
Welcome Home Armageddon."
This record does not have much... well, in fact any, discernible filler, which is something that I love. This is a very solid album, with no inherently bad tracks at all (except for perhaps the sappy "Owls (Are Watching)" [and even that track redeems itself slightly with an ingenious use of clean guitar behind distorted in the chorus]). Really, the only problem with this album is that many of the tracks follow the exact same structure and/or have similar elements, and thus a couple do get unfortunately lost in the shuffle- tracks like "Broken Foundation" and "Old Hymns" don't really stand out apart from a couple of moments.
The vocalwork on this album really is great. It may be at times a little too over-the-top, but on tracks such as the adrenaline-fueled "Front Row Seats To The End of The World," drummer Ryan Richard's emotional and raw harsh vocals and Matthew Davies-Kreye's clear and poignant cleans alternate with apparent ease and gracefulness. While there are a couple of moments where Davis is slightly off key (the intro and outro of the aforementioned "Owls (Are Watching)",) you scarcely care because of the earnestness with which he delivers his lyrics (which are, for the most part, just OK). I would also be a midst to not mention the bass-playing on here, which is fantastic and holds its own with the guitars. It's always great to see creative bass playing, and with this record you get it in strides. From the solo on "Aftertaste," to the impressive runs on "Man Alive," there is some truly superb playing on here.
The awe-inspiring guitar solo and excellent basswork on "Medicated." The raw energy of "Front Row Seats To The End of The World." The riffing in "Spinning Over The Island." These are just a few examples of parts from "
Welcome Home Armageddon" that really stand out and make it an excellent album. This is probably Funeral For A Friend's best release, and also one of the better releases from 2011 so far. Do yourself a favour: check this out.
