Review Summary: Failure's comeback is an underrated and overlooked gem.
When a conversation involving grunge or grunge like music gets brought up, it always seems the big four are discussed. Those four are Nirvana, Alice In Chains, Soundgarden and Stone Temple Pilots. All amazing bands in their own rite, they often overshadow other great examples that get lost in the cross fire. A notable blind spot is occupied by Failure. For whatever reason, Failure remains overlooked to this day despite the so-called classic status of
Fantastic Planet. They're a band that influenced countless bands, a notable being A Perfect Circle, with their willingness to venture into the realm of diversity in grunge. Space rock, noise rock, stoner rock and proto deftones esque metal filled the gaps in between their grunge sound. Something most people don't know is how they still make brilliant music and gracefully flew into the modern scene like they never left. Enter
The Heart Is A Monster.
The Heart Is A Monster relies on a more accessible style of delivery while still maintaining a sound that is wholeheartedly Failure. "A.M. Amnesia" and "Counterfeit Sky" are perfect examples of their space rock atmosphere and alternative metal/stoner sound coming together. "Counterfeit Sky" showcases the band at their lyrical best and delivers a massive climax full of stellar musicianship and soaring melodies. The former focuses more of their catchy delivery, unique approach to guitar melodies and appropriately aloof vocals, making for an infectious chorus. "A.M. Amnesia" also makes sure to maintain constant illusions and lyrical themes linked to space much like Cave In.
The band also makes some interesting choices with "Mulholland Drive" and "I Can See Houses." Straight out of a David Lynchian haze, "Mulholland Drive" showcases a dream pop vibe firing on all cylinders. The beat is steady, atmosphere alluring and vocals dreamlike. Meanwhile, "I Can See Houses" presents the other side of the coin, being haunting and foreboding. In the haunting portrayal of a flying phobia, the toms drive the soundscape to emit some seriously anxiety inducing feelings.
They strike a well-balanced core when it comes to haunting tracks like the former and catchy tracks like "The Focus" and "Otherwhere." Both have infectious and seductive riffs that bounce off the propulsive rhythm section. The vocals are especially masterful on "The Focus," as the riff motif continuously builds to a satisfying conclusion. Meanwhile, the guitar and bass work beautifully like a proper yin and yang on "Otherwhere."
It's evident that their comeback album brings all sorts of potential to the table, but the one thing they did not improve upon is their interludes. Much like
Fantastic Planet, this track list is riddled with "Segue" songs that are supremely unnecessary. They do not ruin the experience per se, but when you can trim nearly ten minutes off an album that is already bloated, the listener would surely grab the shears.
Above all,
The Heart Is A Monster is a welcome return from a band long forgotten by the mainstream zeitgeist. They deserve to be brought back into conversations that involve great modern rock adjacent music and classic grunge material. It's not often a band comes back firing on all cylinders as well, and they did just that. Perhaps not as complex as
Fantastic Planet and overlong, but the sheer and obvious talent on display more than makes up for it. Out with the old and in with the new. However, we still love the old.
