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There is a point in every band's life when they either take a leap
of faith in their own work or not, and for Your Best Friend
that leap of faith is in the form of their self-titled album. The
album's power rock engines are diesled by guitarists Steve Sochanek
and John Bonham, who is also the lead vocalist and plays the
keyboards on the recording, while bassist Dale Brown and drummer
Nick Edler activate the volley of pounding hammers that move
in time with the ebb and flow of the chord hydraulics. YBF have the
mammoth-sized propulsions of TREOS and the tenderizing flusters
of Aiden. Their music leans towards the melodic end of hardcore
like Breaking Benjamin, but it still has the gruff and stubble
that comes with hardcore's growls and raw cuts. Your Best Friend have
not completely broken away from their musical influences on this album,
but they are thinking outside of the mold of power rock/hardcore and
expanding its playing field.
Bonham's vocals give these tracks a hard crust and a gruff texture.
It's like he is carrying a heavy burden on his shoulders and trying
to rip out of the ties of bondage, particularly in tracks like "White
& Red" and "Near Perfect Wrists." The dueling action
in "Near Perfect Wrists" is awesome, and the haunting echoes
of bells and chimes moving through the undercurrents of "White
& Red" have a Goth-rock feel to them. The hard-hitting beats
and thrusts in the guitar chords of "Close Your Eyes And Drive
Away" produce a molten magma that could burn through steel, and
the chunky guitar vibrations that power "You'll Never Feel Anything
Again" leave goose-bumps on the listener's skin. The music penetrates
into the listener's pores, especially the pairing of guitar surges
and synth-rock fuses along "The Path Of An Illogical Liar",
which resonate like an anthem that today's generation can relate to
and grab onto like it's a chapter that came right from their own lives.
The most tender spot on the album is the rock ballad "Aboriri"
which starts out soft with gently fluttering chord patterns and then
rises up into mammoth flusters and howling sounds that smash into
each other. It's one of those moments when all Hell breaks loose and
there is no way to hold back the raging floods.
Most of the album is one power rock mudslide after another with short
reprieves coursing between them. Your Best Friend made a good choice
to take their leap of faith now. Their sound is ripe and emotes action.
It's an album that seems autobiographical not just to the band, but
to everyone living in the present.
-Susan Frances
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