Funeral For A Friend - Memory and Humanity By Sean Reid Published: October 20, 2008 PrintEmail
Band: Funeral For A Friend Album: Memory and Humanity Label: Join Us Records/Victory Records Overall: 3/5
Funeral For A Friend are one of the best bands to come out of Wales over the last few years, along with band such as Lostprophets and The Blackout, they have made Wales a dominant musical force in the United Kingdom and this latest effort is a fine example of this.
"Memory and Humanity" is somewhat a return to form for the Welsh boys as the album blasts through the speakers from the start with "Rules and Games" with next track "To Die Like Mouchette" being layered with various riffs and Matt Davies' vocals being as impressive as ever. Current single "Kicking and Screaming" starts off rather bassy but then goes along at an average pace and I think it a bad choice for one of the album's main singles.
Funeral For A Friend's song structure of heavy riffs and melodic vocals dominate this album with tracks such as "Constant Illuminations" and "You Can't See the Forest for the Wolves". It's a structure that works and is affective but soon becomes tiresome.
However the band do have a gentler side with tracks such as "Building" and "Charlie Don't Surf", a light, steady paced track which sounds soothing and is one of the better songs on the album.
The album dosn't finsh untill the band have one more fast-paced heavy track, "Ghosts" before the closer called "Constant Resurrections" which builds up at a steady pace before a break down that see's the band using electronic elements and then ends with a slow and sombre piano.
On the whole Funeral For A Friend's latest effort isn't bad but then again it isn't great, it's just mediocre and it will please those who wanted the band to return to their "Hours" sound, after last year's concept more mature sounding "Tales Don't Tell Themselves". "Memory and Humanity" is just Funeral For A Friend being their oldselves. It has plenty of heavy tracks with plenty of riffs and songs that will eventually grow on you because this record is a grower.
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