F.O.E.S. – ‘Antecedence’ [Review]
Show me a band who are one third Deftones, one third Karnivool, and one third Arcane Roots, and I’ll show you a band I’ll happily rave about until the end of time. F.O.E.S. (aka Fall Of Every Sparrow) may have an awkward name, but their music is fucking incredible. They’ve definitely found the fast track to instant approval at this end.
Antecedence kicks in in style with Rival Thrones – an immediate and crystal-clear nod in the direction of Chino Moreno & co. that merges massive, churning riffs with epic atmospherics. Crown Antler continues to mine the ever-fertile depths of off-kilter metal, throwing in self-assertive lyricism for good measure – and This Is Kingdom Come is just straight up immense. Seriously, man – fuck. Just…fuck.
Surprisingly, though, the heavy-as-balls tracks aren’t actually the best part of Antecedence. El Penumbra hits hard with beautifully haunting lyrics concerning vocalist Chris Mackrill’s being diagnosed with a serious medical condition, while No Sleepers Verse takes two perspectives on a friend’s toxic relationship – and although both may be less intense in terms of aggression, they’re that much more emotionally intense at the same time. In an ocean of soundalikes looking to look cool and not much else, material like that really stands apart.
Plus No Sleepers Verse contains shades of Asymmetry-era Karnivool, which can only ever be considered a Very Good Thing.
In short, Antecedence is a stellar showing from a band who deserve to be much bigger than they currently are. No doubt justice will be served with the passage of time.
TMMP RATING: 91%
Links
Antecedence drops on July 10. F.O.E.S. discuss the whole thing in this interview with TMMP!
F.O.E.S. on Facebook and Twitter.
Follow TMMP on Twitter for more from the world of world-class music! If you’re a regular reader, thanks for the support! Don’t stop, and keep going!