Review Summary: I can feel your heart beat; I can feel it next to mine. I know you’re alright…
It’s been four years since Throw the Fight’s last effort “What Doesn’t Kill Us”, and it was clear that the dreaded sophomore slump had hit the band full force. After taking the time with a two-year hiatus, they have returned with additional new members and a reinvigorated sound. “Transmissions” is the most inspired album in the band’s discography and one of the best alternative rock albums of the year.
What steals the show here are James Clark’s very competent vocals, and the interplay between his and the bassist, Kade’s, backing vocals. His natural tenor range has a very soothing tone that sounds like a blend between Framing Hanley’s vocalist Kenneth Nixon, and Story of the Year’s vocalist Dan Marsala. He’s able to create soaring melodies such as in the highly energized chorus of “Bury Me Alive” and “Scream Out Your Name.” His harsh vocals have vastly improved and have taken on a very gravelly tone which works surprisingly well with the instrumentals. The lyricism surprisingly for the genre isn’t far behind either, as the topics range from the vocalist James’s battle with testicular cancer, dealing with the acceptance of a “lost spark” in a long term romantic relationship, coming to terms with the loss of your personal youth, and other topics. All of these subjects are approach tactfully and in a way that isn’t too corny or overblown.
One problem with the previous effort from this band is that the instrumentals were drastically under produced and couldn’t do anything other than support James’s vocals; this is no longer the case as every member has stepped up their game to be on par with the fantastic vocal delivery. Guitar arrangements are infectious, and swap being overly technical for crafting melodic lines that stick in your head alongside the vocals. The drums and bass fall nicely into the mix; and while they mostly just keep alongside the guitars and vocals, they each have their nice standout moments from time to time. The production values are top notch thanks to the dream team combination of Carson Slovak (August Burns Red, This or the Apocalypse, Texas in July) and Grant McFarland (August Burns Red, Black Crown Initiate, From Ashes to New); Nothing in the band overpowers one another; yet everything that’s supposed to stand out, stands out.
The problem with this record lies in its repetition; the material itself is well composed, engaging, and technically sound, but there are a few repeated melodies, drum fills, and vocal arrangements such as in the song “Scream Out Your Name” which sounds like an inferior version of album highlight “Bury Me Alive” with an incredibly similar pre-chorus and chorus but nowhere near as infectious. Stylistic variation is also lacking here; you’ve got metalcore influenced alternative rock for eight tracks, one acoustic track, and one straight up alternative rock track. They’re damn fine at what they do, but that’s all they do.
Throw the Fight have come back with a bang, and this record shows that they have massive potential for the future. If they vary up their sound just a bit more, tune down the filler and not re-use melodies from previous songs on the album, they could easily create something that could stake them an even bigger reputation in the scene and establish them as titans of the genre. For now, they've created easily the best album in their discography and one that will surely keep people entertained and interested in future efforts to come.
