Far West Battlefront Reinvent Themselves

Adelaide's Far West Battlefront returned from the quiet void of obscurity in late 2015 with their impeccable second record, the deliciously good 'Status Cross', a release has actually become one of my favourite Australian heavy records to date. Period.

It was a record that I truly loved back in November 2015, and it's a record I still love to death now in February 2017. In retrospect, I have actually gone back and changed my initial review score of the album from a slight cop-out, tantalisingly close '99' to a pure and deserved '100'.

It is an intense and heavy record at times, and one that was immensely polished in terms of its actual musical delivery and its sonic quality. But it's also a very well written and nuanced record as well, and one that navigated some bold and very unexpected directions for the four-piece and their ever-evolving sound.

It also was, and still is, fucking brilliant.

[caption id="attachment_1075327" align="alignnone" width="760"] Masterpiece.[/caption]

But that was then. This is now.

In October 2016, the group said that they were working on a five-track concept EP. Whether or not this release is still on the cards to see the light of the day now, earlier this evening the now three-piece band (bassist Luke Simons departed last year) released their first new song since 'Status Cross' and previous lineup change - 'Jupiter'.

With this new song, the band  - made up of Kieran Wright, Todd Hayes, and Chad Hayes - has now ditched the 'Battlefront' from their moniker, opting simply for the name Far West. This is so the band can freely explore further musical ideas and genres, without belittling and tarnishing the albeit small legacy of their own work and the previous band members that helped to build that very foundation. And honestly, that's a smart move. Especially considering that 'Status Cross' showcased so much more than simply a generic deathcore-metalcore crossover sound of their earlier days.

In a recent statement, which you can read below, Far West covered their recent name change, their latest single, the past behind them and the future that's now ahead of the group.

"Time is a funny thing. Everything changes, yet everything stays the same. First the formalities; thanks to anyone that ever gave a shit! It still blows our minds how many of you are out there. Time cannot take our memories and we will be holding them close moving forward; until the day we fall off the earth. We know all those that supported us and cannot thank you enough.

The last few months have been a soul searching experience for us. Autumn has shed our leaves and we have been left wondering if we can ever spawn new ones again. We (Ron, Chad and Todd) have to remember that the small legacy we have, was also built on shoulders that are no longer with us. Nic, Adam, and Luke all contributed an amazing amount of their blood, sweat, and tears; and, they did it better than anyone else. It's hard to pick up the pieces when members like that leave your band. If you have never been in a band, you will never understand. It's a brotherhood, a family.