| CD REVIEW Forever Never |
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Band : Forever Never As you may have seen in the caption above, this album was actualy released about a year ago…and the reason why the band’s label has sent us a copy now, is because we hadn’t reviewed it yet (we hadn’t gotten it back when…), ànd because the band is soon to embark on a European tour…which is to see FN pass through our country as well! What with my last acquaintance with this Essex based band dating back to their debut album Aporia (review posted 25/03/2006, and still available for fact-finding detains prior to those days), perhaps a slight catching up with what’s been up with the band since then is in order? Because actually quite a few positive things have happened for the quintet! For starters, I was not the only one giving Aporia a somewhat raving review, leading UK Metal magazine Kerrang! following in the critical acclaim, which greatly boosted sales during the band’s supports of the likes of Fozzy, Caliban, Skindred, and Sikth in the UK, and led to a 26-date Eastern US tour (in 30 days) in support of Stuck Mojo (at the invitation of SM guitarist Rich Ward), and a slot at the sold-out Uxfest ‘06. A video for album track “As I Lie” got nice airplay on both Scuzz and Kerrang! TV, further elevating the band’s profile. During 2007’s first 4 months, FN found itself supporting Stone Sour and Breed 77 on UK tours and again gaining positive (magazine and on-line) reviews and additional fans along the way. When Danes Mnemic were on tour in the UK during July, FN was there to support ‘em, and the band finished Summer with positive appearances at UK festivals Bloodstock and Rock Off. In October the band not only continued their live assault on home soil alongside Brits Panic Cell, but also released digital single Empty Promises (a taste of things to come on their forthcoming new album). The single’s video again got heavy rotation on Kerrang! TV, and the music got radio airplay on Total Rock Radio (the show presented by Bruce Dickinson on BBC Radio1/ Radio 6). It also got the band features in both Rhythm Magazine and Total Guitar. To top things off, the single’s B-sides “Break The Trend” and “Thanks For Letting Me Know” (the latter of which would not be used on the new album) also got positive response and were used on the covermount CD of Metal Hammer Magazine’s November issue and Rock Sound Magazine’s Ones To Watch In 2008 CD respectively. SF ended 2007 with a famed concert at Camden’s Barfly which got a 10/10 rating from Rock Sound Magazine, the band being lauded as “KBY Band Of The Year” in the same issue of the magazine… …and opened 2008 supporting Madina Lake for two weeks, playing their debut concerts on Europe’s continent in France and Germany and again gaining hundreds of new fans as well as getting positive reviews in (web)zines Rock One, Rock Mag and Les Eternels. Upon their return to the UK in April 2008, the band was set to support Ill Nino, but suffered a near-fatal van accident after a very successful opening night. Although everyone came off unscathed, the accident did take the band out for a short while. I’ve no info on how soon they were back on their feet though. Somewhere along the line guitarist Chriss Ransom and drummer Mick Row left the band (the latter in early 2008, so he wasn’t involved in the van accident…and I’ve really no idea when the first went) to be replaced by Jack Mackrill and Sam Curtiss respectively. The first gig news in 2009 sees the band again criss-crossing the UK as headliners in support of their sophomore album during June and July (also playing at the Download festival), taking things a little slower during August and September (when they also played twice at the Takeover Fest) and playing several dates in October and November (somewhere in that bunch were support slots for Vision Of Disorder and Skindred). January 2010 started with a support slot, for the shows on British soil, in the tour headlined by Kittie (also playing were It Dies Today and Malefice), and on February 16 FN is back on European soil as support for Skindred’s European tour…a tour which will last ‘em until March 21 (but by then they’ll have been playing several UK gigs for a week and a half again) and brings ‘em on Benelux territory (in chronological order) on February 16 & 17 (Holland, Amsterdam’s Melkweg & Tilburg’s 013 respectively), and again on March 6 & 7 (Holland, Rotterdam’s Watt Basement & Belgium, Brussels’ Ancienne Belgique). Time to say something about the album? Well, Forever Never actually follows in the debut album’s footsteps like a very natural thing. Perhaps the band has perffected its lead/ backing vocals interaction somewhat, but otherwise things sound very much the same as before…besides the fact that the sound is perhaps also a bit better overall, you know. Not mentioned before (in above cited review of mine) is the fact that FN claims to draw influences (in equal parts) from Meshuggah, Michael Jackson, and Mint Condition, which explains their combining of catchy melodies with highly technical play…and the frequently returning rougher moments (through scream-shouted backing vocals, which actually also play second lead at turns). Occasionally, you’ll find the band used some synths/ keyboards in an intro, and they even close off the album with a very nice piano piece. Responsible for all keyboard play was lead singer Renny Carroll, whom programmed part of it alongside Mike Curtis (related to the new drummer, perhaps?). A couple of songs (“Broken Kingdom” and “Never Enough”) have very nice “gang” backing vocals provided not only by the band and an additional 5 people, and in the case of “Exitdose” the female backings were provided by Solsikk’s Vikki Turner. A worthy follow-up to the debut? I say, you bet!!! In addition to sending us an album for review in support of the upcoming Brussels gig, the band also sent me an invitation to come visit ‘em on that evening…and although I don’t usually go to concerts anymore (overall, they take too much of my time, better spent on listening to new releases to be reviewed) I am very much inclined to go say hello! 95/100 Tony. |