Album Review: For Today - 'Fight the Silence'

When you have as much bad press as For Today have received, you need to chose your words carefully. And that's why the topic of the band's latest effort, 'Fight the Silence' being one of sex-slavery awareness, was (and is) a great move. Both politically and press wise.

When the group released the title track, it's fair to say the reaction was mixed. Subsequently, the question prevails: is the rest of the album symptomatic of this indfference?

While some believed that the only reason For Today did this was in order to make up for the bad PR that engulfed them when their ex-guitarist made homophobic statements over social media. Others believed that For Today wrote the song and dedicated the album to this topic as they are just simply top-blokes. But all of that is really irrelevant. Whatever the band's motivation, it is enjoyable to see a group tackling this issue when it is so under seen and yet so disgusting.

Unfortunately on the full-length, the title track is the only song that deals with the issue.  The silver lining is if it were just bombarded like a message in an Amity Affliction album then it would get old and people would overlook it. 

The best example is 'Pariah'. And this is no paraphrasing:

"So as the crowd, demands my head / My time has come to die / You can't kill me I'm already dead / This is the martyr's cry / Death is only the beginning / Of everything I'm living for"

There is no doubt that this will put some people off and maybe even offend them but, it's an interesting perspective if nothing else.

The musical side of 'Fight the Silence' is solid and precise. The way these tracks have been structured and configured is a very big step-up from the band's previous work. There are some heavy tracks that fans of Parkway Drive and other such acts will most definitely appreciate (specifically 'Break the Cycle', 'A Call to Arms', 'Molotov'). Although at times, the sound gets too familiar, it's still an easy and enjoyable listen. Equally, Matty Mullins' [Memphis May Fire lead vocalist] contribution on 'Break the Cycle' is a solid addition.

When the band mix in all this with their trademark underlying melody, it creates some real standouts. 'Hated by the World' makes good use of that and ends up sounding like a [The] Ghost Inside song. Overall, fans and the casual listener should find reason to embrace this release.

Look, if you're religious and a metalcore fan, then 'Fight the Silence' is arguably your album of the year. The religious themes are going to hit home for you. However, if you're not then you may find the sentiments a little too overpowering, forceful or heavy. You may even be offended by it. Yet, if you look through that and see the sheer improvement that For Today have undergone then you will find a solid album worth of attention.

1. Molotov
2. Fight the Silence
3. Pariah
4. Reflections
5. Break the Cycle
6. A Call To Arms
7. For the Fallen
8. Fatherless
9. Dead To Rights
10. One Voice
11. Resonate
12. Hated By the World