Up In Flames, the first single from Blessthefall’s fifth album, is a high-speed, multi-tracked explosion of thrash, riffs and post-punk melody, and the record follows in the same vein, conjuring up memories of Sing The Sorrow-era AFI.
Opening track Decayer starts with a twinkly fade-in riff, before launching into a heavy verse driven by complex beats and the kind of soaring chorus we’ve come to expect.
Walk On Water is a punkier affair, with abrasive gang vocals and chugging, distorted guitars. There’s plenty of opportunity for Eric Lambert to show off his soloing talents, too – Dead Air and Looking Down From The Edge both feature thrash-inspired riffs that nod to the band’s metal influences. The epic choruses are what keep the album moving, though. There’s little variation in the sound until the slower ballad, Keep What We Love And Burn The Rest, which has producer Joey Sturgis adding electronic overtones that wouldn’t sound out of place in a club. It’s not a career-defining record, but there’s enough of Blessthefall’s earnest emotion here to keep fans happy.
