Complain and moan all you want, but a little post-hardcore here and there really isn’t that bad. It’s kind of like a palate-cleanser, or like eating your vegetables. Either way, I still enjoy it every once in a while; especially if it’s coming from a band with experience like Funeral for a Friend. They’ve been around for a bit and have even inspired artists after them. And now, Funeral for a Friend put out their latest release, Conduit, to show they can still bring justice to the genre.
Conduit is a well put together display of not only good post-hardcore, but also a return to the band’s more hardcore roots. Songs like “Best Friends and Hospital Beds” really show the more hardcore nature right from the get-go. It very clearly has that energetic, crowd-amping feel to it, including the occasional breakdown. Other songs like on the title track, “Conduit”, display these characteristics as well. “High Castles” also gets very close to the metalcore side of their spectrum as well.
The rest of the album has the common formulas of other post-hardcore bands; almost possibly a rehash of themselves from younger years. But that doesn’t completely destroy the experience of Conduit. It’s still a pretty solid album. It is also their shortest LP as well. Every song is on average around 2 minutes, making the entire album just about a half hour long. Some of the songs are almost too short; they feel like it’s leading up to something awesome, but then it just stops. But if short song length is the only major qualm I have, then the album really isn’t that bad.
Conduit is a pretty good album from a band that already has a positive reputation. As post-hardcore goes, Funeral for a Friend still does the genre justice. It’s good to get a dose of this every so often, and this happens to be an excellent way to get that little fix. If you’re not familiar with Funeral for a Friend’s brand of post-hardcore, Conduit would be a perfect introduction.
7.5/10
"Best Friends and Hospital Beds"
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjEjoEZ_FIo[/youtube]
