Artist: For Today
Album: Immortal
Release Date: May 29, 2012
Label: Razor & Tie Records
The main thing I've always admired about For Today has been their unashamed faith in a scene that has been judged so much for its darkness and anger. In fact, I think that has been the key driving point behind their music. While oh so often For Today are classified as unoriginal, it can be insignificant, because at the end of the day, they make uplifting metalcore, that certainly focuses on message over originality. However, that being said, their new album Immortal does switch things up a bit. The band's typical breakdowns are still there, but are utilized a bit better as compared to their last album, Breaker, and many more melodic elements are implemented, such as clean vocals and brighter sounding guitar riffs, even a jazzy one (layered over frontman Mattie Montgomery's screams in "Immortal").
Immortal kicks off on a good note, with the sampled intro "The King" leading into the adrenaline-laced "Fearless," which boldly stands as a battle cry against the Devil, never letting up in its energy, which carries into "Stand Defiant," which cries out "Give me strength to stand when the battle rages!," following in the theme of spiritual warefare. "Foundation" uses clean vocals to its advantage, as does "Fearless," albeit in a much less typical scream-sing-scream fashion (in the former of the songs).
Three guest vocalists also make an appearance on Immortal, each prominent members of Christian rock and hardcore through the year; Tommy Green from Sleeping Giant, Sonny Sandoval from P.O.D. and Jake Luhrs from August Burns Red. "Set Apart," which features vocals from Luhrs, is perhaps another album highlight, and when Jake comes in, he not only kills it, but the overall feel of the music is very August Burns Red-like, perhaps not quite a coincidence.
Overall: Although not a perfect album, riding on the line of melodic metalcore, Immortal is quite a solid album. It's extremely worshipful lyrics offer encouragement to fight against the ways of the world, and to truly be fearless when in the face of suffering. Even though the album may have a bit more breakdowns and blast beats than my typical heavy music listening lately, it does a good job of overcoming my growing jadedness towards more typical metalcore and offers a good bit of diversity as well, rightfully placing For Today at the forefront of the ever falling and rising metal scene for years to come.
Rating: 8/10
Reviewed by Brooks Ginnan
Tracklisting:
- The King
- Fearless
- Stand Defiant
- Immortal
- The Call
- Foundation
- Open Eyes
- Under God (featuring Tommy Green)
- Set Apart (featuring Jake Luhrs)
- The Only Name (featuring Sonny Sandoval)
- My Confession
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