:: Fear Before The March Of Flames - The Always Open Mouth

Fear Before The March Of Flames

I can’t say that the first two releases from Denver (Colorado) act Fear Before The March Of Flames (F.B.T.M.O.F.) really left much of an impression on me. Although very different from one another, both 2003’s ‘Odd How People Shake’ (Which was re-released in 2004 by Equal Vision Records) and 2004’s ‘Art Damage’ relied too much on the screaming progressive post hardcore sound that has been reproduced to death in recent years (Mimicking acts such as Converge, Botch, The Dillinger Escape Plan and The Blood Brothers) by countless other acts. Perhaps aware of the limitations of their chosen field, F.B.T.M.O.F. (Which has grown to a five piece act, comprising of vocalist David Marion guitarist/keyboardist/vocalist Adam Fisher, new guitarist Zachary Hutchings, bassist Michael Madruga and drummer Brandon Proff) have spent the better part of two years rethinking their direction, to finally reinvent themselves with their third full-length effort ‘The Always Open Mouth’. From the moment the haunting (Almost industrial like) and gentle introduction piece ‘Absolute Future’ emerges from the speakers, it’s clear that F.B.T.M.O.F. has thrown caution to the wind to remerge with an experimental mood in mind. 'Drowning The Old Hag’, ‘A Gift For Fiction’ and ‘A Brief Tutorial In Bachanalia’ are by far the album’s heavier moments, and while some traces of the band’s past sound remains intact (The chaotic angular riffs and the dual screaming vocals), it’s the sparseness of the production (From Bobby Darling and Casey Bates), the subtle keyboard sounds and the inclusion of some melody that really show how much the band have matured as songwriters in recent times. ‘Mouth’, ‘High As A Horse’ (Featuring Adam’s brother Jeremy Fisher on backing vocals) and ‘My (F**king) Deer Hunter’ (Featuring Anthony Green from Circa Survive as guest vocalist) further push the boundaries of people’s expectations from the band with a hybrid mix of progressive post hardcore and straight out punk/rock. The final part of F.B.T.M.O.F.’s evolution becomes more apparent in tracks like electronically driven ‘Taking Cassandra To The End Of The World Party’, the downbeat ‘The Waiting Makes Me Curious’, the Refused influenced duo of ‘Complete And Utter Confusion…’ and ‘…As A Result Of Signals Being Crossed’, the catchy anthem ‘Lycanthropy’ and the mesmerising chant based closer ‘Absolute Past’. ‘The Always Open Mouth’ is unlike anything F.B.T.M.O.F. has produced in the past, and it’s only a good thing. Rather than follow the path of the majority, the band has decided to branch out and create something truly different, which in turn will ensure them an audience beyond the current screaming/hardcore/metalcore scene.