Genre: Metalcore/Hardcore
Label: Facedown/Razor & Tie
Date of Release: April 2, 2013
HOLY MELODIC HARDCORE
Sioux City,
Iowa quintet For Today is by far one of the most iconic groups to be associated
with the Christian metal and hardcore genre. This all started back when the
band formed in 2005, and in 2006, they released their debut EP “Your Moment,
Your Life, Your Time,” landing them a spot in the roster of Christian metal
label Facedown Records. Afterwards, they released their debut full-length in
2008 called “Ekklesia,” which gained the attention of many fans of the
metalcore genre. Then, “Portraits” followed in 2009, which was a bit of a
decline from the previous effort, but was nonetheless a solid release. The band’s
third release in 2010 and the last one to be made under Facedown was “Breaker,”
and then, after signing to Razor & Tie (All That Remains, Straight Line
Stitch), they released their best effort up to date “Immortal” in 2012. Later
on, For Today made another record under Facedown Records in 2013, an EP/DVD release
simply known as “Prevailer.” After a stellar effort with “Immortal,” this
five-headed record demonstrates not only some solid melodic hardcore, but some
rather notable changes as well for the band.
One respect in
which “Prevailer” demonstrates some changes for the band is the musicianship
itself. The aggressive vocals, first of all, seem to take a little more
advantage of their rather wide range from lower to mid to high-pitches, as well
as possessing some more shouts to express more emotion for the music than
before. This is done greatly per usual, where the vocalist changes his pitch
for the right moments so nothing with his performance is overdone. On top of
that, the clean singing is more prominent in this release moreso than in any
other release that For Today has put out for its audience. They are potent and
done well, and it is clear that the singer behind it is putting his energy into
his performance. The guitars have undergone some noticeable shift as well, although
this is mostly in the style of the melodies they bring, which are much more
dramatic and less hardcore anthem-like than before. They also deliver
heavy-fisted riffs for the audience to bang their heads to, and topped with the
great melodies, they are done nicely. The drums, on the other hand, have not
seen much change like the other elements, but are great nonetheless, continuing
to be intense yet rather simplistic in how they are played. To top it all off,
the production is also stellar, giving the music some explosive sound to it. Generally,
the musicianship has seen some changes for the better with some nice sounding
production as well.
A slight
change has also been made for the music of “Prevailer” itself. While the band
continues to carry out their usual potent melodic metalcore onslaught, the tone
of the music is somewhat more dramatic and epic, especially in the melodies of
the singing and guitar work. The speed also contributes to this change and
certainly backs the dramatic aspect of the melodic hardcore that this band puts
out. However, despite this change, fans of the band’s older releases will unlikely
be disappointed, since the EP stays true to its hardcore roots. With that being
said, the largest downside that this short release suffers from is that not
only is the music as a whole undeniably generic in terms of the metalcore
genre, but it also falls victim to some high predictability. While structured
solidly, the songs mostly follow the typical verse-chorus layout without
throwing any true surprises at their listeners. Therefore, the appeal of this
record is woefully narrowed away from those in search of of innovative music
and will mostly appeal only to diehard metalcore and hardcore fans. Thankfully,
this does not necessarily stop the release from being at least decent and
enjoyable, because there are plenty of gripping and powerful moments, one
example being the introduction of “Crown of Thorns,” with great buildup and a
spine-chilling explosion of metallic hardcore. Overall, although the record has
problems, the music that the EP offers is pleasurable, and will appeal to
especially the loyal fans of the band and genre.
However, if
there is one aspect in which For Today has not seen much change in, that would
be the lyrical content. They follow the band’s usual formula of empowering
Christian-based lyrics, hence both the album’s title “Prevailer” and the album
cover. The cover depicts the face of Jesus Christ with the crown of thorns on
his head, showing how he prevailed through the pain and suffering associated
with sin and became the Savior among his followers. The track associated with
this religious concept, “Crown of Thorns,” has great lyrics to be accompanied
with it, representing the guilt of the people that persecuted and crucified the
one who helped and loved them in the first place. Sadly, the other tracks don’t
fare as well in terms of the lyrics, because they tend to be rather overly
preachy and may be very discomforting to those who are outside of the faith. Nonetheless,
they don’t stop “Prevailer” from being a solid release, and the lyrics in “Crown
of Thorns” especially show great concept and lines about the history of the
religion.
All in all, “Prevailer,”
although a step down compared to the band’s best work “Immortal,” is an
enjoyable release. It has proven to be a small sign of some small but
nonetheless remarkable changes, and they are certainly, for the most part, for
the better, especially the musicianship. The vocals possess great range, the
guitars are loaded with potent melodies, and the drums serve as a solid
instrumental framework for the rest of the music with its dynamicity and
velocity. The music overall, while sadly very generic and typical in terms of
the melodic hardcore genre and the song structures, is still decent, with some
potently memorable parts sprinkled throughout the course of the EP. Lyrically,
the band focuses on the usual Christian agenda, and it does fall into the
category of hit-or-miss, with the concept behind the album and the previously
mentioned track showcasing great religious meaning, while the other tracks are
a tad too preachy for their own good. All things considered, these aspects all
add up to a decent release from one of the most well-renowned Christian
hardcore bands ever to set foot on the scene. As stated earlier, seekers of the
inventive will not find much to like in this release, but loyal fans of the
group and metalcore and hardcore followers will take pleasure in this. It also
serves well as a welcome mat for those new to the genre, as it sticks to the
traditional roots of the style. In spite of the album’s scathing flaws, the EP
has been shown to be an indicator of some intriguing changes for the band to
come.
Score: 7/10 (Solid)
