Four Year Strong – ‘Rise or Die Trying’ (album review)
With this release Four Year Strong are well in for the pop-punk title of the moment. Describing their own sound as “happy hardcore”, FYS roughly encompass the Fall Out Boy sound, but stretch it to the extreme.
Their production style is slick and polished, but you can hear the layers of sound, but the multiple harmonised guitar tracks, sing-along choruses and gang vocals, with the added samples and synth, takes the good parts of all the bands right now and mashed them up.
The songs on this album are really catchy, ‘Wrecked ‘Em, Damn Near Killed ‘Em’ is just as good as ‘Catastrophe’, and the highlights of the album have to be ‘Prepare to Be Digitally Manipulated’, which sets you aback with shock with how hardcore it gets, but they regain the pop status, and put bands like Motion City Soundtrack to shame with the synth-tastic ‘Abandon Ship or Abandon All Hope’.
This band set out to do just one thing; wreak havoc to you stereo, and for that, they have succeeded. The anthemic choruses and music shifts, teamed up with the sing-a-long vocals makes the album brilliant, the quality does not vary throughout the album, but then having said that the content doesn’t either. There are a few forgettable tracks, and some samey sounding tunes, but the majority of it should be turned on full volume and blasted out your speakers.
By Jessica Kempner
Release Date: 5/5/08
Label: Hassle
www.myspace.com/fouryearstrong
Click here to read more Four Year Strong related news, reviews & interviews!
Buy Four Year Strong CDs & Vinyl
Buy Four Year Strong MP3s
Buy Four Year Strong Tickets
Buy Four Year Strong Merch
Bookmark and share this page with:Their production style is slick and polished, but you can hear the layers of sound, but the multiple harmonised guitar tracks, sing-along choruses and gang vocals, with the added samples and synth, takes the good parts of all the bands right now and mashed them up.
The songs on this album are really catchy, ‘Wrecked ‘Em, Damn Near Killed ‘Em’ is just as good as ‘Catastrophe’, and the highlights of the album have to be ‘Prepare to Be Digitally Manipulated’, which sets you aback with shock with how hardcore it gets, but they regain the pop status, and put bands like Motion City Soundtrack to shame with the synth-tastic ‘Abandon Ship or Abandon All Hope’.
This band set out to do just one thing; wreak havoc to you stereo, and for that, they have succeeded. The anthemic choruses and music shifts, teamed up with the sing-a-long vocals makes the album brilliant, the quality does not vary throughout the album, but then having said that the content doesn’t either. There are a few forgettable tracks, and some samey sounding tunes, but the majority of it should be turned on full volume and blasted out your speakers.
By Jessica Kempner
Release Date: 5/5/08
Label: Hassle
www.myspace.com/fouryearstrong
Click here to read more Four Year Strong related news, reviews & interviews!
Buy Four Year Strong CDs & Vinyl
Buy Four Year Strong MP3s
Buy Four Year Strong Tickets
Buy Four Year Strong Merch
