{"id":29926,"date":"2013-06-04T06:34:33","date_gmt":"2013-06-04T11:34:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/?p=29926"},"modified":"2014-02-08T08:36:22","modified_gmt":"2014-02-08T13:36:22","slug":"farewell-2-fear-new-blood-cd-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/2013\/farewell-2-fear-new-blood-cd-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Farewell 2 Fear | New Blood<\/em>"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Mark Allen<\/span>
\n– Senior Columnist —<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"FarewellIf you long ago bid a less-than-fond farewell to radio-ready modern hard rock, then Farewell 2 Fear (F2F) is not the band to bring you back into the fold. Because just as McDonald\u2019s has never bothered to reinvent the Big Mac because it tastes good just the way it is, F2F feel no need to diverge from what works within the modern rock genre. But just like the Big Mac\u2019s classic combination of two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun results in food that tastes good, F2F\u2019s sturdy combination of crunchy guitars, slick production, catchy hooks, and attention-grabbing choruses result in music that sounds good.<\/p>\n

Of course, sounding good and playing good doesn\u2019t automatically result in good things happening for a band. The market is glutted with groups that all sound a lot like F2F, which puts them at risk for being slapped with the generic tag. Do they deserve it? Honestly, much like discussing Charlie Sheen\u2019s sanity, you could argue either way. But if you chose to argue in favor of F2F being something other than another soulless corporate rock clone, you could readily point to their spirited energy and strutting confidence. Sure, F2F feature snappy hooks and big choruses, but rather than sounding crassly commercial, they sound organic and natural\u2026even when they sound commercial. <\/p>\n

Make no mistake, this is mainstream rock, but it\u2019s magnum-caliber mainstream rock. It\u2019s the kind of stuff that gets played on Sirius\u2019 Octane channel right next to Pop Evil, Nickelback, and Skillet, and if you like any of those bands, you\u2019re going to like F2F. The band has a fan mailing list of over 200,000 and you just don\u2019t get those kinds of numbers without doing something right.<\/p>\n

One of the things the band did right was record and release a hard rock version of Rihanna\u2019s hit tune \u201cDiamonds.\u201d The song struck a chord with modern rock aficionados and deservedly so; the song in its original form is infused with pop catchiness and F2F managed to retain that infectiousness while cranking up the guitars and transforming sugar-coated pop into amp-blowing rock. It grabbed ears like a miscast fishhook and made folks start paying attention to what F2F was doing.<\/p>\n

While naturally some songs are better than others, nothing here will make you poke the Skip button. \u201cFire\u201d is guaranteed to give your ears a sugar-buzz, it\u2019s so damn catchy, and the chorus sticks to your brain like melted taffy. \u201cOut of Reach\u201d brings some guitar sizzle to the proceedings as well as an extra dose of attitude from singer Mike Craig. \u201cNew Blood\u201d features the kind of irresistible stop-start rhythm upon which so many hit singles are built. Gang backup vocals lend the track power, the hooks fly faster than insults at a celebrity roast, and the chorus really nails that sweet spot.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re a fan of modern hard rock, say bye-bye to the other albums currently in rotation on your stereo or iPod, because F2F is going to be hogging all your listening time for the foreseeable future. Granted, the band\u2019s sound is hardly innovative, but it\u2019s high-quality material within the confines of the modern rock format. Farewell 2 Fear may not inject any new blood into a bloated genre, but they\u2019re good enough to get your blood pumping, and that\u2019s good enough.<\/p>\n

Genre: Modern Hard Rock<\/p>\n

Band:
\nMike Craig (lead vocals)
\nBob Bearden (lead guitar, vocals)
\nTony Lucero (guitar, keys, vocals)
\nJeremy Sevens (bass)
\nJimmy Adams (drums)<\/p>\n

Track Listing
\n1. Start It Over
\n2. Running Out of Time
\n3. Fire
\n4. Finding My Own Way
\n5. Gone
\n6. Out of Reach
\n7. New Day
\n8. Victory
\n9. Won\u2019t Slow Down
\n10. The Suffering
\n11. New Blood
\n12. Diamonds
\n13. Unopened Door<\/p>\n

Label: Silent Majority Group<\/p>\n

Webpage: www.facebook.com\/farewell2fear<\/a><\/p>\n

Hardrock Haven rating: 8\/10<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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