Since their formation in 2001, Welsh ‘post-hardcore’ crew Funeral For A Friend have literally “been there, done that, sold a million T-shirts”. However, over the past decade or so, their popularity has undeniably waned: following the gold status of their debut ‘Casually Dressed And Deep In Conversation’ in 2003, and its 2005 follow-up ‘Hours’, the band hit their most successful run with ‘Tales Don’t Tell Themselves’ two years later, which peaked at No 3 in the UK charts. While follow-up ‘Memory And Humanity’ again made the Top 20, FFAF’s most critically acclaimed effort, 2011’s ‘Welcome Home Armageddon’ failed to capture the fans’ imagination – or cash.
The band’s sixth album, ‘Conduit’, sees them going back to their roots, as it’s a lot more grounded in the 1990s hardcore sound that characterized their first couple of releases. Now, anyone who knows me knows I don’t particularly like ‘metalcore’, to give this particular sub-genre its all-embracing categorization, at the best of times – and that’s being polite about it – but ‘Conduit’ works for me, primarily because of its edginess and punky feel.
It does retain some of the experimentation of ‘Memory And Humanity’ and, in particular, ‘Welcome Home Armageddon’, but it is dominated by its very back to basics approach to the songs, which are short, sharp and to the point, the performances, which are earthy and honest, and the production, which emphasizes and draws out the strengths of all the aforementioned.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XXKa6YjJaU]Vocalist Matthew Davies-Kreye (who concentrates on singing rather than screaming) attributes this return to basics approach to the recruitment of former Rise To Remain drummer Pat Lundy… this may well be the case, but ‘Conduit’ very much has the feel of a band who have gone back to the old school in a determined effort to both reinvent / reinvigorate themselves and to reconnect with their fans.
Track list:
1. Spine
2. Conduit
3. The Distance
4. Best Friends And Hospital Beds
5. Nails
6. Death Comes To Us All
7. Travelled
8. Grey
9. Sunless
10. Elements
11. High Castles
‘Conduit’ is released on January 28th via Distiller Records.
The second single from the album, ‘The Distance’, is released on February 11th.
Funeral For A Friend support the release of ‘Conduit’ with an extensive UK and Ireland tour:
Saturday 12 January – High Wycombe Bucks Uni SU
Saturday 19 January – Tunbridge Wells The Forum
Wednesday 23 January – Belfast Limelight 2
Thursday 24 January – Derry Nerve Centre
Friday 25 January – Cork Cypress Avenue
Saturday 26 January – Dublin Fibber Magee’s
Monday 28 January – Cardiff Clwb Ifor Bach
Tuesday 29 January – Bristol The Fleece
Wednesday 30 January – Plymouth White Rabbit
Thursday 31 January – Exeter Cavern
Saturday 2 February – Bournemouth Sound Circus
Sunday 3 February – Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms
Monday 4 February – Brighton The Haunt
Wednesday 6 February – Margate Westcoast Bar
Thursday 7 February – Cambridge The Junction
Friday 8 February – Norwich Waterfront
Saturday 9 February – Nottingham Rescue Rooms
Monday 11 February – York The Duchess
Tuesday 12 February – Leeds Cockpit
Wednesday 13 February – Glasgow King Tuts
Thursday 14 February – Newcastle Uni. SU
Saturday 16 February – Manchester NQ Live
Sunday 17 February – Stoke Sugarmill
Monday 18 February – London Garage
Tuesday 19 February – Birmingham Asylum
Friday 1 March – Colchester Arts Centre
Saturday 2 March – Northampton Roadmender
Sun 3 March – Oxford Academy 2
Friday 5 April – Southend Chinnerys
Thursday 18 April – Leicester Academy 2
Friday 19 April – Hull The Welly
Saturday 20 April – Wakefield Warehouse
Sun 21 April – Preston 53 Degrees
Funeral For A Friend official website: www.funeralforafriend.com
Follow them on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/funeralforafriend