Band: For All Those Sleeping
Release: Outspoken (Album)
Release Date: Out Now
The modern use of the term post-hardcore usually conforms to a certain few ideals and notions. Often consisting of deep growls, high-pitched, nasally orientated cleans and synth, a lot of fucking synth. This time round, is ‘Outspoken‘ the new record from Minnesota’s For All Those Sleeping going to follow this obligation? Or will it step outside of an already over-crowded box?
Opener and forty eight second title-track ‘Outspoken‘ doesn’t have much, a sample, a short breakdown and a bit of synth, all well and good if you’re a fifteen year old Attack! Attack! fan with a fluorescent green fringe. Do those kids even exist anymore?
Anyway, ‘Once A Liar (Always A Fake)‘ takes the script for how to be a modern-day post band and follows each dimension with perfection. Heavy bit? Check. Irritatingly high, auto-tuned cleans? Check. That annoying Bring Me The Horizon first album high-exhale ‘scream’ type thing? Check. SYNTH? CHECK! With ‘Mark My Wounds‘ following in almost exact fashion, instead, this time OPENING with a breakdown? Who’d have thought of such a thing? Don’t worry though, the infamous cleans pipe up nice and tediously in the chorus section.
‘Tell Me The Truth‘ doesn’t win a gold star for originality when it comes to its title, that doesn’t particularly matter though as nor does the track. It has a chorus hook which would appeal to the kids that are already fans of bands in this genre, but not much else. It does have synth though. That’s always good. I love synth.
The main riff in ‘Turn Of The Century‘ is alright but it is, as expected, let down by everything else that the song has to offer, especially the aforementioned piercingly abhorrent high-end ‘scream’ thing that this band, like so many others insist on incorporating into the majority of their full-length tracks.
‘Love Isn’t Real‘ is heart-breaking rendition that opens with ‘Woah, woah-woah, woah oh!‘ – philosophical and ever-so well thought out, you can really tell that the band has worked hard on this one. Similarly, ‘Shaken Not Stirred‘ has no redeeming features other than enough auto-tune and jittery synth to make James Bond shoot himself in the face. Fortunately, James Bond is a character best played by Sean Connery, in my opinion.
We have reached the end with ‘Backstabber‘. I’m just really glad that there is a prominent synth section is this track, didn’t I mention that I really love synth?
Jokes aside, the band can construct a record enough to gain a substantial fan-base, big-ass tours and a record deal whilst many other hard-working, honest bands fall by the way-side. The main struggle encountered with this band and record is that it sounds and feels insincere. There is not one track on this record that would make a listener such as myself feel ‘he definitely means what he’s saying’, it’s all a bit too flaccid and beige for my liking although there are certainly millions that would disagree with me.
1/10
Reviewer: Luke Davis
