I think in large there are now many genre’s that are saturated with bands, so its very hard not to resemble like another band, let alone adorn similar sounds. This makes it much more difficult to produce an album that is truly ground breaking or at least stands apart from the crowd. There also seems to be a shift of bands releasing material independent, utilizing the fan base they acquired whilst on a label with full control of their artistic ability. For some guys it truly pays off, whilst others not so much.
Thousand Foot Krutch has been around for some time now, and seem very persistent to keep going. A Kickstarter campaign later The End Is Where We Begin is what they have accomplished, and though the result is not disappointing I do feel the sound is getting old, and to cast depth in this genre is getting a harder objective to achieve without it coming across copied and regurgitated. So do they make it? Firstly the intro and outro make no real sense at all, and either track are forgettable and a deletable experience. Once you get those out the way, the album is not a bad experience. Its by no means in my book better than , Welcome to the Masquerade, but still a strong performance. Just that they could have possibly placed the tracks better, which might have enhanced the strength of the album, and it would sound more of an album, rather than a loose collection of songs. If this was their first release I would be less harsh, but they are Old-Timers in the scene, and experience has to play effect in the overall picture of the review.
They have a serious sound, and when you add ‘adolecent’ lyrics to the mix, well it comes across goofy and lame, ie: “don’t play me like a 3DS” from the track “I Get Wicked”. This kind of direction does not work for most bands, only a few can pull it off, and takes a certain sound, and appearance to sell it, one of the best bands that can pull this direction off in terms of wacky lyrics is THE TOY DOLLS, yet have a serious musical style that is both mature and technical even reaching beyond their own genre confines. The sound they are gunning for on here, is a tried and tested formula that one has heard a lot of, but that does not dissolve the fact that they do it justice for the most part. This is by no means a middle of the road experience. Sometimes its just easier to focus on the negatives, and that would not do this album justice. Its a solid rock experience over all. In many respects its a step in the right direction from the last album, and serves as a strong platform of their artistic freedom. Their is a sense that they have journeyed to bring you some of their roots back to form in terms of ; Trevor McNevan’s rapping for one, which is fabulously accomplished on this album and will certainly bring happiness to the fans who have missed the absence of this. I truly think fans and new fans alike will enjoy this result.
“We Are,” “Let the Sparks Fly,” and “Courtesy Call” are the all great songs and allow for McNevan’s hard hitting vocals to punch an effective balance with the great guitar playing. Stand out track is “Light Up the Sky” mainly due to the fact that its a step out of their usual formula and effectively strong enough to stand separate from the rest of the tracks for that. Its bold and reflects a high measure of talent and reach within the band. It has a very Rage Against the Machine feel to it, oh and I love the intro and bassline riffs.. “Be Somebody” is this is a great rocker with deep pounding heartfelt lyrics. Again it makes me question why they had to include some goofy lyrics in songs like, “I Get Wicked”, when they are a much stronger breed of machine doing the serious lyric thing. I think they tossed ballads in for variety sake. Though there are some real wrong turns in terms of lyrics, songs like “All I Need To Know” redeems them, through strong lyrical accomplishment and effectiveness. And “So Far Gone” ends the album on a great worship note , “I want to be so far gone in You…/I want to be lost in you like a ship in the night”. The combination of songs like these give the album the deserving creditability that it should be getting and in turn spins out an album that Thousand Foot Krutch can be proud of, and in turn shows the experience of a band wanting to engage their fans on a intimate level that draws the listener in, rather than away. This makes for not just another hard rocker album lost in the sea of other rocker albums, but rather something that will not be so forgettable a couple years from now. So thumbs up to the guys.
At this point its fair to state the obvious, Thousand Foot Krutch have show again that they are consistent in producing quality material, time and time again, and maybe their shift to be an independent act will enhance that as they dig deeper into their artistic freedom. I would not say that this album is better than their last, but it’s just as good, and there are hints that the adjustments they have chosen to make might gather them more support. One does not get tired from playing this album over and over again easily, and it has a certain quality about it that grows on you the more you listen to it. Only time will say if their decision to go independent is the right decision that they made.
Look they might have made a few mis-steps on here, and their album is not without its faults, but show me any album that one can’t find something wrong with it. Yeah there might be one or two weaker than average songs, and when stacking it against their last release their might be some creativity mis judgements and errors, but this should not take any gas out of the fact that these guys are seasoned maestros and they have largely succeeded. I think “The End Is Where We Begin” is a great album and shows a band that independent or not they are able still to bash it out with the best of them and come out tops. So kudo’s to them for a job well done!
Rating: 7/10
Written by: Donovan de Necker
Track listing:
The Introduction (1:01)
We Are (3:18)
Light Up The Sky (4:00)
The End Is Where We Begin (3:45)
Let The Sparks Fly (4:06)
I Get Wicked (3:33)
Be Somebody (3:42)
This Is A Warning (Intro) (0:47)
Courtesy Call (3:57)
War Of Change (3:52)
Down (3:27)
All I Need To Know (4:10)
Fly On The Wall (4:03)
So Far Gone (4:29)
Outroduction (0:38)
Band members:
Trevor McNevan – vocals, guitar
Joel Bruyere – bass guitar, backing vocals
Steve Augustine – drums
Record Label: Independant, April 2012
Discography:
That’s What People Do (1997)
Set It Off (2001)
Phenomenon (2003)
The Art of Breaking (2005)
The Flame in All of Us (2007)
Welcome to the Masquerade (2009)
The End Is Where We Begin (2012)
Weblinks: website / Facebook / Twitter
Buy the album here:
Holland: First Paradox
Norway: Nordic Mission
Music Video For: War Of Change