Review Summary: Ronnie should just go solo already...
Alright, so get this, in 2010, Ronnie Radke formed a band called Falling in Reverse after getting out of prison and in 2011, released their first album "The Drug in Me is You". Now That album was an okay presentation with some catchy hooks, melodies, solos from guitarist Jacky Vincent, But it had it's flaws, And now we have their next "big" attempt to show themselves as a "good" band With their new album "Fashionable Late". God, What the F&*k were they thinking?!
So when this album started, I was expecting a mediocre piece of crap, and guess what? I was 85 percent correct with that! the first track "Champion" was an okay starter, with a basic metalcore riff and showcase. Ronnie's doing his catchy chorus thing as usual, Nothing new here, Until you hear the new Rapping that Ronnie thought would be cool... Dumbass. It doesn't fit well and While I'll admit, Ronnie's got a good voice for music like this, It's not gonna work out if he's gonna be rapping in this genre, But then comes a breakdown Another same old, same old, breakdown we've heard before. Nothing new here. But it's not too bad. Next came "Bad Girls Club", God, Kill me now!!! This song never needed to even exist on this planet! Weak Techno use, Poorly made guitar riffs and even worse lyrics. And what the hell is with the cheerleaders? Does Ronnie wanna join the pep squad now?!
After a decent song, and a horrible song, I braced myself for whatever the hell was coming at me next, and I gotta be honest, It was better! "Rolling Stone" is another basic metalcore song that fits pretty good with this band, but that's the thing, It's exactly like Champion. It had the same boring intro-verse-chorus-verse-chorus-breakdown(sometimes even a solo)-chorus-end structure that you heard on their last album. And, SPOILER ALERT!!! That's pretty much every song on this album. The rapping is okay if it weren't for the God awful lyrics like "I'll gut you like a F&*king Avocado". Next comes the basic pop-rock title track of the album, "Fashionably Late". It's pretty much the basic pop-rock song that doesn't mean any harm, if it weren't for the lyrics, with Ronnie singing about cheating on his woman for her friends.
After that comes the first song I heard from this album, since it was released over a month ago. "Alone" is definitely one of the worst songs on the album. Horrible use of electronics, Unneeded autotuning, and the lyrics are some bad and bundled up together, I can't even understand it. When Ronnie's rapping, he's telling everyone to just F&*k off apparently, and in the chorus, he's singing about how he doesn't want to be alone. How can you tell everyone to f&*k off and then ask not to be alone?! Then comes "Born to Lead" Which was better, to an extent. The chorus was catchy and the lyrics were better, but the songs solo is way too long and the breakdown actually goes into a second breakdown, and then into a THIRD breakdown... I have never in all my days heard of that being possible. The song goes on way too long then it needs to, but it's okay, nonetheless.
After that, "It's Over When It's Over" is a slower song which is kinda surprising to hear coming from this band. If it wasn't for Ronnie's rapping, then this song would actually be good. Thankfully you also get a break from the breakdowns, considering the 3-way you had with the last song. But the lyrics are pretty okay though. "Game Over" is the one song on the album that's actually worse then "Alone". It's gamer sound effects and weird warping throughout just makes this song completely horrible and useless. I get that FIR is trying to be "Original" But there's a reason why no one ever thought of a song like this... Cause it's bad! The Worst of the Worst! Of course, after the storm, the sun comes out, with probably the best song on this album. "Self-Destruct Personality" is the heaviest song to date by them and it's pretty good actually. Decent lyrics, good riffs, and another catchy chorus by Ronnie. The song has some potential, if it wasn't for the insipid rap verses. Although the lyrics in the rap verse are good, It just doesn't fit in the metalcore sound that FIR is trying to produce. And to end the song, an unneeded breakdown that turns the rap verse into more screaming, something that Ronnie isn't too good at to begin with...
"F&*k the Rest" is another harmless Pop-rock song you'd expect to hear from FIR and it's a fun song I suppose, if it wasn't for the useless breakdown in it. It's completely unneeded and just ruins the vibe people may get from this song. Also the lyrics are pretty bad too... "Keep Holding On" is , or at least should of been, the last song on this album(that's actually worth listening to). The song is pretty much that slow-paced song that'll make 12 years old fangirls who feel like no one understands them cry their hearts out with Ronnie saying he wants to help them. But what's he doing?! The same cock-a-mammy egotistical BS he's been spewing out since 2007. And what's worse, Another unneeded breakdown! In a slow song Ronnie? Really?! Finally, we have "Drifter" Which is more like a "WTF" kinda song, then a actual album finisher. It's Country-pop(If that actually F*&king exists), and it's just awful. How in god's name could anyone think this was a good idea for a song. I'm starting to think Ronnie's back on drugs again.
So in the End, "Fashionably Late", is a step backwards from whatever direction FIR was going in the first place. This felt more like a waste of time then an actual listen to music, if that's what you'd call this, "Music". I'll admit, It's got it's moments, But even those moments can't bring FIR out of the rut that Ronnie's put them into. I know it was only a fan-made-up myth, but I think Ronnie should just go solo already... For the sake of this band, and possibly the sanity of his ever-growing fans that feed onto his overwhelming ego.
