For Today - Fight The Silence

I thought Immortal was For Today's best work yet... But I didn't love it. Immortal was heavy but the band added some great melodic elements and lost a lot of the bass drops that have become standard metalcore fair. The guest spots from Tommy Green and Sonny Sandovol gave the album an extra dimension and For Today was expanding their repertoire. But the album wasn't as compelling as the band's previous effort, Breaker. Breaker had a passion and a vibe that made it special. Immortal felt like it was lacking something and as great as it was, I just didn't connect with it.

Fight The Silence might be For Today's most accessible and "mainstream" record yet. It's a little more in the vein of what we've come to expect from bands in the metalcore genre. But... I find it more enjoyable than Immortal. Fight the Silence is For Today, in a good way. The album's heavy with great clean choruses and catchy hooks.

Molotov starts with the muffled, eqed guitar riff/drums opening that I've heard a million times before the bass drops and the songs kicks in full. But when the first hook hits, the riff and groove push the sing-a-long nature of the track is great. Fight the Silence is a great anthem that speaks out against human trafficking. It's one of For Today's best songs ever! Pariah is the heaviest song on the album. No clean vocals and an excellent mini solo in the middle of the track. Reflections is a beautiful melodic moment that's a nice respite coming out of Pariah, without being an awkward instrumental that's often used in the genre.

Call To Arms has some of the best guitar work I've heard from For Today. Intricate and interesting riffs happening underneath the breakdowns. One Voice is a great song about standing up for your beliefs and not backing down from your convictions. Hated By The World is a melodic punk feel that's totally fresh and new for the band.

Fight the Silence is still heavy, but something in the production makes it feel like it's For Today's least heavy record to date. It gives it that "mainstream" metalcore vibe.

It might not be anything new or groundbreaking, but For Today has recaptured what was so great about Breaker. Fight the Silence is an anthemic record with tons of heart, passion, and conviction.