Chasing Victory
Fiends
5.6
Seriously, what is it with heavy Christian music? Occasionally a band like Zao, Extol, or Lengsel comes along and drops an album - like Liberate Te Ex Inferis, Undeceived, or Solace, respectively – whose musicianship and ingenuity outweigh the Christian tag, appealing to fans across the board and then there are the rest that are content to regurgitate secular trends in a much cleaner, less offensive, and utterly (excuse the pun) soulless manor.
Unfortunately, Chasing Victory belongs with the latter group, making a marginally passable attempt at coupling radio-ready hooks with gossamery post-hardcore. Imagine if you will fellow worshipers mewithoutyou mingling with a more simplistic Every Time I Die or He Is Legend then toss in a heavy helping of Muse-like hooks and you have an idea of what Chasing Victory are going for. There are a few bursts of discordance and screaming strewn throughout (“Wolves,” “Fiends”) and the occasional quasi-southern riff (“Zombies,” “Brides,” “Kings”) that add some heft and variance to the album, although they ultimately sound a bit insincere contrasted by the bland, edgeless rock that fills out the rest of the record. The sounds is great, however, with a nice, even mix that favors the vocal hooks a tad; the clean guitar parts shimmer, the heavier parts have more than adequate ballast, the drums are warm and natural, etc.
I want to be clear that I don’t dislike this album because it was created by a Christian band; I dislike it because it is boring, safe and has no discernable edge that sets it apart from thousands of other albums by like-minded bands. Although Fiends is unlikely to appeal to much of the Metal Review readership, I will admit this album sounds completely professional and while not standing out in any particular way, is worth checking out if this style suits you.
