Review Summary: Definitely their best...thats not saying much though
Artist: Escape the Fate
Album: Self-titled
Date: November 2, 2010
Label: Interscope
Escape the Fate certainly are an interesting band; their original lead singer, Ronnie Radke, was asked to leave the band due to his run-ins with the law and eventually they replaced him with ex-blessthefalls singer Craig Mabbitt; they dress like scene kids that grew up idolizing the attire of ‘80s glam metal; and their eclectic influences help make them a bit more interesting than their peers. Now, by no means are they rewriting rock music like they claim or really doing anything that could be called original but it is fun to hear them play post-hardcore with pop, metal, and screamo sensibilities. Also, on numerous occasions they throw in guitar solos that give Dragonforce a run for their money (See “Massacre”, “Prepare Your Weapon”, and “World Around Me”). While this all may be good it makes them a very confusing band that often loses focus. Their last album, 'This war is Ours', was simply put, a catastrophic mess that lacked any focus and, with the exception of a few tracks, very little originality. Now with a new record label (DGC/Interscope Records) and producer Don Gilmore (Linkin Park, Bullet For My Valentine, & Hollywood Undead) Escape the Fate have released a self-titled album that isn’t as much a change in sound as it is a refinement of previous efforts.
They still have the same sound of 'This War is Ours' but two things make 'Escape The Fate' a better album: first off, the production of Don Gilmore compliments the bands ambitions almost perfectly. The heavier moments sound intense, it’s easy to hear the heaviness of Bullet for my valentine pop up in certain places, while the lighter moments have a certain depth that gives them added power (the lead single “issues” sounds heavier than it actually is while the ballad “World Around Me” contains a tasteful orchestra arrangement). Second, the band has learned how to make their album more focused and sound comfortable rather than forced or awkward. 'This War is Ours' featured songs (or people) that sounded out of place (yes I’m looking at you Josh Todd), Here the songs flow smoothly into each other until you get to the previously mentioned ballad, “World Around Me”, but even then it’s not a big enough change to ruin the momentum, it actually leads off perfectly into the final track, “The Aftermath (The Guillotine III)”.
The band still isn’t original enough to be called great, they always insist on having horrible cover art, and in the middle of the album the songs start to blur together, but when it comes down to the music they seem to know where their strengths lie. Definitely won’t win over any skeptics but it’s still a good post-hardcore album that has something to offer every fan of the genre.
Highlights: “Massacre”, “World Around Me”, “The Aftermath (The Guillotine III)”
