Funeral For A Friend are, to say the least, the main heartbeat of the hardcore scene in the UK. Their 2003 debut "Casually Dressed and Deep in Conversation" propelled them into superstardom. From winning Kerrang awards to sell out tours, Funeral had it all before they'd properly found their feet. Back then, the band were taking bands such as My Chemical Romance under their wing as a support act. Now, MCR are selling out arenas all over the world. To put it bluntly, Funeral For A Friend are the most under rated band this genre has ever produced. It's difficult to explain quite what happened to Funeral after the release of mega album "Hours", with two key members leaving the band and albums that just didn't quite cut if with most fans, many would have expected Funeral to just disappear into the sunset with their heads held high, knowing that they had set the high ground for hardcore bands worldwide.
Get real.
2010 saw the release of four track EP "The Young and Defenceless". This 13 minute gem rekindled many a fans love affair with FFAF, and it's easy too see why this has been so popular. The message of pure bone idleness and ignorance in this EP screams out at the listener, and Matthew Davies lyrics showboat a thoroughly pissed off man indeed. The mental imagery that songs like "Vultures" produce for the listener is enough to just turn the record off and walk away, laying back in the comfort of your own bed and throwing on a bit of JLS to forget about it. But Funeral are a band with a message, and they're going to scream it until their vocal chords are nothing but dust.
EP opener "Serpents in Solitude" is not only lyrically brilliant, but one that was definately made for the mosh pits. Ryan's throat shredding vocals dominate the track, and just emphasize Matt's point. Lyrically, the song is basically a huge "Fuck you" to everyone who sits on their arse day in, day out. With first line "Question, nothing will come of them", dominating the entire song, Matt has outdone himself on the lyrical side of things. Musically, this song is perfect for the pit and head banging. Ryans double bass work in the opening riff along with Gav and Kris' guitar work and Rich's chugging bass riff create such a beat that it's impossible not to bang your head just thinking of it, even if you're in a room with your grandparents.
Second track "Vultures" starts off with an almost mellow bass riff and a repeating drum pattern, however the song does get a lot heavier. Maybe not continuing the feel Serpents left you with, but it's a damn good song to put on the EP. The imagery given to you through Matt's lyrics, particually "Sacraficial lambs, led to the slaughter. We eat the shit, they feed us every day" doesn't exactly lighten the mood set earlier on, but again, this record isn't one that's going to make you feel great about life. Funeral wants you too take a stand about what is going on in the world today, and this is the perfect song to make anyone stand up and question just what the fuck is going on in the modern world.
"Damned if You Do, Dead if You Don't" is quite definately the highlight of the EP. A song that feels so thrash you might forget it's a Funeral For A Friend record and makes you question if they threw Metallica on there for the hell of it. Matt's lyrics do not differ much throughout the entire record, but they certainly stick out a lot more on this song. Maybe it's the interesting vocal change in the build up to the chorus, or the chants of Damned if You Do, Dead if You Don't in the chorus itself, but the message feels a lot clearer throughout this track. A bridge in the middle of the song makes the listener imagine a wall of death spreading out at a concert, and you know that when this track is played live, many a body will be flying over the barrier.
Last song "Sixteen" doesn't disapoint, however it does feel out of place. There's almost a, dare I say, pop element to it. It may have to do with the higher pitched guitar riff at the end, or the fact that this is the only song on the EP that doesn't feature Ryan's screams. It does feel like this is a song that rightfully deserves a place on this four track gem, but not as a closer. A song that doesn't let up once throughout, "Sixteen" definately shows Funeral's ability to write powerful songs, and shows that they're not a band made up of breakdowns or aggression. Once you hear the soaring guitar towards the end, it feels like this is the bands way of celebrating their return onto the map of rock music.
Funeral may have been overseen over the past few years, but if this EP is just a taster of what the new full length album (titled Welcome Home, Armageddon), then it won't be long before Funeral For A Friend rightfully claim back their title of the worlds best hardcore band.
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