Henry Rollins had this to say about being in a band in his book Do I Come Here Often: Black Coffee Blues Pt. 2: "I see now that it's a lot more than just the music that got them [Janes Addiction] where they are. There's a lot of planning and wise moves made. Timing is a key element... I just assume you release everything you've ever done at once, play your guts out, give all, and you'll be alright." Being a band and releasing music isn't a hobby, it's a business and certain decisions will be made that will either make or break a band's career. That being said, Fordirelifesake might have just cast themselves into eternal doom with Dance.Pretend.Forget.Defend.
The album opens with "Exhale," a spacey intro. I am skeptical, but still anxious to hear this new effort from one of Detroit's abundant metalcore outfits. But instead of slaying guitars and growling screams, "Recover" greets me with the sappy emo singing of Brian Southall. Perhaps the wrong CD was inserted into my case. Giving it the benefit of the doubt, I let the song continue and fortunately my patience pays off. The remainder of the song is comprised of those stereotypical elements I was looking forward to hearing.
Time for the next track. I hope that opening sequence on the last one was just an isolated incident. "Circle and Cycles" begins and my hopes are crushed. Not only is it more of that sad bastard music, but they've also added a female voice. Why didn't they just cover that From Autumn to Ashes song? It would have been less obvious. The next couple of tracks contain more of the same, though they are placed over a mix of punk and chaotic metal so as to not completely deter the listener, or at least that's my feelings on the situation. Fortunately there's enough of the coarse screaming of Matthew Wedge to keep me interested enough to move on from song to song.
Eventually, I am treated to a cover of Nine Inch Nails' "March of the Pigs," which really didn't do anything for me. Granted I enjoyed the original, but there are far better songs to cover in the band's collection. The remainder of the album fits the cookie-cutter formula that most of today's emo/metal hybrids seem to be following and would likely appeal to those who enjoy that style of music. The album closer, "The End of the Beginning," is an unexpected highlight, an instrumental bearing resemblance to Explosions in the Sky material. Perhaps if this whole metalcore thing doesn't work out, the band will venture down that avenue.
I'm not exactly sure what inspired Fordirelifesake to experiment with this more accessible style of music. I have a theory that the popularity of acts like Atreyu, As I Lay Dying, and From Autumn to Ashes might have had something to do with it. On the bright side of things, Southall has since left the band and with any luck in the world, the band will return to their original songwriting ways and put this embarrassment of an album behind them. If they need any help, I'm more than willing to provide a bonfire to burn all remaining copies.
