EP Review by Mark Bayross
Welsh quintet Funeral For A Friend have been drawing considerable critical attention since the release of their debut EP BETWEEN ORDER AND A MODEL, a set at last year’s Kerrang! Weekender, sessions for the Radio 1 Rockshow and XFM, and favourable reviews all round.
Their second EP, FOUR WAYS TO SCREAM YOUR NAME sees them take their potent collision of emo and hardcore still further. Produced by Colin Richardson, whose previous clients have included Machine Head, Carcass and bright new hopes InMe, it should come as little surprise that it rocks.
The punk urgency is still very much there, but the guitars pack a mean metal punch, while Matt Davies’s screaming definitely hits 11 on the hyperactive opening track THIS YEAR’S MOST OPEN HEARTBREAK. True, KISS AND MAKEUP (ALL BETS ARE OFF) – they aren’t doing going to shake off the emo tag with these song titles – may tug on the heartstrings with its quiet acoustic outro, but that’s only once it’s been ripped out of your chest.
It all ends with the sublimely melodic ESCAPE ARTISTS NEVER DIE and a promising future for this young band.
