For Today
Immortal


3.5
great

Review

by AtBRareform USER (3 Reviews)
May 29th, 2012 | 102 replies


Release Date: 2012 | Tracklist

Review Summary: "So I laid down my life for the world to see. There was only one who could break the chains that bound me."

For Today have conviction. It has been a constant since the beginning of their career as a band, harkening all the way back to Ekklesia. It is what has helped to set them apart from their contemporaries. With Immortal For Today shows yet again why they continue to be a competitive force in the Christian and metal scenes.

Immortal begins with a compelling intro that contains excerpts from different preachers proclaiming the name of Christ. Although having this sort of intro is very formulaic For Today does manage to pull it off, a lot of credit being due to the haunting strings that occur throughout the track. An interlude also containing string instruments occurs halfway through the album; both of these tracks adhere to what amounts to a pretty conservative album structure, but still manage to feel genuine and thought-out.

The instrumentation on Immortal is very similar to all of For Today’s other albums. Expect constant breakdowns, frequent bass drops, and a little guitar noodling every now and then. Although this style of instrumentation can get a little tedious to listen to at times For Today does it well; their sheer passion, aggression, and energy more than compensate for the sometimes repetitive nature of their songs. Tracks such as “Immortal,” “Under God,” and “Set Apart” really showcase these traits although listening to any track on Immortal can effectively convey all three.

Mattie Montgomery’s vocals are as good as always; he easily transitions from deep growled vocals to screeches reminiscent of those found on Portraits. His vocals truly affirm the passion for which he and his band mates proclaim the name of Christ. A new addition to For Today’s vocal arsenal is the clean vocals employed throughout the album. It is refreshing that although For Today decided to make use of clean vocals they did so infrequently; this allows for some vocal diversity throughout the album without feeling too overpowering. Tracks such as “Fearless,” and “Foundation” showcase these new vocals, and they are a welcome addition. While some may have a problem with the lyrics on Immortal they are well-written; grounded in religious faith, hope, and trust that there is something beyond this world. There are also a few surprise guest vocals from Jake Luhrs of August Burns Red, Tommy Green of Sleeping Giant, and Sonny Sandoval of P.O.D. that add some extra flavor to their respective tracks.

Overall, Immortal is an album that is put together well. For Today continues to preach their faith, while still keeping things musically interesting. Although the conventions they choose to employ may get slightly repetitive at times the amount of effort and passion that they put into their music more than makes up for it. They are a band with clear intention: to bring religious faith to the world. Their unwavering conviction professes itself loud and clear through their music.


user ratings (229)
3.1
good
other reviews of this album
ILJ (2)
In their fourth full-length, For Today do what they've already done, and remove all the interesting ...

DragonHeartstring (4)
A very hard hitting dose of metalcore that is not overly original but is heavy as hell and has some ...

TBliss2 (1.5)
‘Immortal’ is an absolute chore to get through, and it is difficult to see how anyone could tole...



Comments:Add a Comment 
AtBRareform
May 29th 2012


36 Comments


First review, so any constructive criticism would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Spec
May 29th 2012


40221 Comments


Haven't liked anything they've done.

AtBRareform
May 29th 2012


36 Comments


Yeah, that's chill. I'm pretty big into them, but I tried to give the album an appropriate rating.

Spec
May 29th 2012


40221 Comments


This one has some cool parts though. I loved the Spoken Word stuff on Breaker.

AfterTheBreakdown
May 29th 2012


7245 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

never been a huge for today fan

AtBRareform
May 29th 2012


36 Comments


Definitely agree about the spoken word stuff on Breaker Spec. I thought that was a pretty cool way to segment the album.

J0ckstrapsFTW
May 29th 2012


3797 Comments


Band is fairly decent but the whole "Jesus will kill you if you don't repent" is fucking annoying

ILJ
May 29th 2012


6942 Comments

Album Rating: 2.0 | Sound Off

Pretty good for a first review.



I liked their last three albums, but this one was just way too predictable and generic.

J0ckstrapsFTW
May 29th 2012


3797 Comments


Some of this is actually enjoyable, pos

Devastator
May 29th 2012


4437 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Shit this is out? Good review, I'll borrow this from a friend soon. Mattie and Jake is something I've been waiting to hear for sometime.

AtBRareform
May 29th 2012


36 Comments


Thanks for the positive feedback guys!

AtBRareform
May 29th 2012


36 Comments


Also, I can definitely see where you are coming from ILJAJLM. I actually kind've felt that way the first time I gave it a listen, but it grew on me a lot.

pmmets07
May 29th 2012


5984 Comments


these guys are generic as all hell but still manage to write some really fun songs.

loveisamixtape
May 29th 2012


12415 Comments


chad kreuger being the singer on the first song ruins this so hard for me

plus it sucks anyways

wacknizzle
May 29th 2012


14555 Comments


Oh gosh, that clean singing and lyrics in Fearless was terrible and immature, it sounded like a 5 year old preaching the gospel.

KSK1
May 29th 2012


4118 Comments


I listened to this solely to hear Jakes part and it was worth it. Haven't made it through the whole album yet but it basically seems like the same album as Portraits and Breaker. Seraphim is probably the only song (besides Jakes guest vox) i'll ever like by them.

wacknizzle
May 29th 2012


14555 Comments


This band just never seems to change and their sound was pretty boring to me in the first place.

nononsense
May 30th 2012


3545 Comments


Featuring Jake Luhrs. Enough said.

ILJ
May 30th 2012


6942 Comments

Album Rating: 2.0 | Sound Off

They have potential. There were some really cool moments on Ekklesia and Portraits. They just keep getting progressively more generic.

wacknizzle
May 30th 2012


14555 Comments


They're all really good musicians, they just need a ton of work in the songwriting department.



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