Friendly Fire is a four-piece band based in Jacksonville, Florida and Beyond The Neverglades is their newest full-length release.
Formed in 2016, the band had their fair share of ups and down when band member Chad O’Quinn passed away suddenly just weeks before the vocals for their album were recorded. The band regrouped and, with some new members, the album Terminal Wanderlust was released one year after O’Quinn’s passing in October 2019.
And now, Beyond The Neverglades sees them stomping back to the forefront, having released the album on 11/11/2022.
A punk-inspired album, this is one that is full of energy from start to finish and one that is bound to have you pogo’ing around your living room from the moment you put it on.
Mixing 70’s punk rock riffs, with the distortion of alternative and indie rock and the screaming vocals of emo rock, this band have created a sound that is unique to them.
The great use of distortion on both guitars and vocals gives the album a raw, edgy vibe that takes us on a nostalgic trip back to the late 90’s/early 00’s when bands such as My Chemical Romance, Jimmy Eat World, Blink 182 and so many more were prevalent.
These guys, however, take it that one step further back with influences from the 70’s and 80’s punk sound.
The dirty guitars have a great sound, and the solos are amazing. The drumming is frantic (as all good punk drumming should be!) and the vocals could have been drawn from any decade of the past forty or fifty years, with traditional punk back-ups adding that extra punch!
This is a great album and one that I think will attract listeners of all ages and genres. Not all out punk, but also not stuck in the emo category, this album straddles many genres, and this will be its appeal.
So, punk(inspired) lovers everywhere, go and check out this gem of an album, you’ll be glad you did!
Track Listing:
1) The Ballad Of Blind Blake
2) Headphones
3) Despair Tunes
4) Park
5) Nucleus
6) Ageing Kerouac
7) Death Of A Poet
8) Rise
This review is purely the property of The Metal Asylum