Review Summary: Rival Factions is a good old hard rock album that, surprisingly, comes from Project 86
Project 86 is a rather simple band. The respective musicians play their instruments well enough, and play within their abilities. They have always been good at what they do with their somewhat limited instrumentation: make consistently great (but not often incredible) albums. As a result, Rival Factions could be called just another Project 86 album. However, it should soon become clear that despite the band’s lack of technical skills, Rival Factions makes up for it in accessible melodies.
Project 86 sets the pace of the album by starting with a melodic number. Crunching guitars abound as they pluck away with simple notes. Combined with the pulsing bass drum, we get Project 86’s catchiest song ever. Ultimately, what makes the song is the chorus where Andrew Schwab’s vocals give the song an old rock n’ roll feel. The band would never have attempted something like 'Evil (A Chorus of Resistance)' in the past, but Rival Factions is an album of pushing boundaries. 'Molotov' is a similar song, completely melodic and devoid of heavy guitars - one might even call it a pop song. Speaking about pushing boundaries, listen to 'Pull Me Closer, Violent Dancer'. The chorus is a mess of creepy electronics mixed with heavier guitars, haphazardly sung vocals, and a plodding pace. The song is a surprisingly gothic affair – another unique addition to the band’s catalog.
While the band’s melodic direction is all fine and dandy, there is still a bit of the old Project 86 in the album. One of these is the absurdly titled, 'The Forces of Radio Have Dropped a Viper into the Rhythm Section'. The guitars randomly pound heavy chords fusing with quick electronics and an unstable drumbeat. The song is packed full with aggression, which includes Andrew Schwab joining the chaotic frenzy with his barbaric screams. Unfortunately, this is as heavy as the album gets. A close second would be 'Put Your Lips to the TV', with its thick chugging guitars coupled with Andrew’s half singing/half screaming.
Rival Factions stands out for a few reasons, but the important ones are that the songs are all catchy and memorable. Immediately from the first listen, the first four tracks should burrow themselves in your head. The rest will come with a bit of time, but the point is that this is a very good album. Rival Factions is a hard rock album that has no filler or weak tracks – truly difficult to find these days.
Recommended Songs:
- Evil (A Chorus of Resistance)
- Put Your Lips to the TV
- The Forces of Radio Have Dropped a Viper into the Rhythm Section
- Pull Me Closer, Violent Dancer
