Review Summary: Fashionably Late part 2
Some would argue announcing a new album that intends to be a sequel to an album that your band didn't write, to be…less than admirable. Now anybody whose heard of Falling In Reverse is probably no stranger to lead vocalist Ronnie Radkes troubled past with his former band Escape The Fate. So when the band announced that their third LP would be a direct sequel to the aforementioned bands first release “Dying Is Your Latest Fashion”, nostalgia gears were turning. The band sure failed to deliver though, after dropping their first single “God If You Are Above” ripping the opening of the song off of “There’s No Sympathy For The Dead“, like how Escape The Fate did something similar to Bring Me The Horizon back in the day (yah uh, never mind all that). This is probably the only resemblance to DIYLF on the whole record funny enough. Then its back to the sound established on Fashionably Late, which is nicely improved upon on the song Chemical Prisoner, which showcases one of Radkes best performances ever as a vocalist. If nothing else this record can be really catchy!
One of the high points of the record is Radke’s ability to create infectious, soaring melodies. Unfortunately this is one of the only things the band is able to accomplish. Instrumentally the album needed to be fleshed out much more, with the songs feeling downright rushed at times. This is particularly on the heavier moments, where it feels like the song is being fast forwarded right at the moment of a breakdown, or a screamed verse. Another way that it fails when compared to the Escape The Fate record it pulls inspiration off of. Speaking of the heavier moments, the band resorts to knuckle-headed breakdowns that you'd expect to find on an old Asking Alexandria record. Excluding the occasional solo, the band seems willing to accept their place as merely backup performers for the Ronnie Radke show. Though Ronnie alone is unable to save this record from its greatest downfall, ego.
While the first two singles dropped promised a more serious tone, the album easily proves itself to be identical to its predecessor. The ode to “cock rock” which is “Sexy Drug”, the title track which is a mirror image to the song “Fashionably late” in its merits. The rapping from the last album has all but vanished, though the electronics are still strong in their arms. With Ronnie being the only audible connection to DIYLF, Just Like You acts as a caricature of all that it trys to be. More fittingly as a sequel to Fashionably Late then anything released by Escape The Fate. But the worst crime is found in the obvious attempts to sell to their fan-base. Whether it is the misleading track titling (The Guillotine Part 4), or the contrived lyrical ideas (Get Me Out), the band fails at delivering anything new or refreshing.
The final track of the album is a ballad that works as a form of requiem for who I assume is Ronnies late brother. The saddest thing about this song though is the complete lack of soul. In the song The Day I Left The Womb (Escape The Fate), Ronnie belts out “When you see mother, tell her I can sing” with a conviction that proves his capability to emote while singing. “Brother” on the other hand lacks that same conviction, feeling more like a ploy to bring the listener to tears, instead of working as a catharsis for himself. Sung over a cheap piano instrumental probably composed on an MIDI keyboard. This was easily the biggest disappointment on the entire album.
Comparing this album to Dying Is Your Latest Fashion may seem unjust, since an album should be judged free of bias. This is impossible though when the band goes out of their way to sell it as a sequel to an album that they didn't even write. With his head so big, Ronnie was unable to see that his contribution alone did not make DIYLF an enjoyable record to the listener. Otherwise this is just another Falling In Reverse record. Chemical Prisoner is worth a listen, and if you can get over the lyrics there are some pretty decent guilty pleasures on here, but this is in no way a sequel to DIYLF.
