I remember this band; a few years ago I picked up Live Forever or Die Trying with false promises of sweet melodic hardcore. We all know how much I love sweet melodic hardcore. Unfortunately, I was rewarded with another bland disc of substandard metallic somewhat fast hardcore. The only redeeming factor on Live Forever or Die Trying was a good cover of the Foo Fighters "Everlong." The gang vocals on that Dave Grohl penned 90's rock classic were tremendous.
So when In the Face or War's latest disc arrived in the mail I was less than enthused that I would have to review yet another album by yet another somewhat fast "metalcore" band that relied more on the chugga chugga than they did actually writing good memorable songs. It seems a lot has transpired between Life Forever or Die Trying and We Make Our Own Luck. This Indiana unit has decided to drop most of the metal for a more Deathwish Inc. type resonance. I hear bits of Life Long Tragedy, Final Fight, Killing the Dream, and of course, Modern Life is War. This variety of over impassionate hardcore with bits of breakneck stops and starts is a hit with the kids these days. Yes, I like this sound from time to time but I am not exactly the hugest fan and find myself a tad burnt out on the whole genre as a whole.
In the Face of War is competent at what they do. They have all the rights part from the sing along parts to the fast parts, the two-step parts to the chunky mosh parts with double bass damage. The vocals are yelped and speak clichéd volumes about faded pictures, suicide, and being on the road.
In the Face of War have been around for seven years and have finally found a niche. And even though I feel like they are trying their hardest to become the next band that Jacob Bannon designs an album for, I was pleasantly satisfied with what I heard. We Make Our Own Luck isn't breaking any new barriers but they are good band nevertheless. Although there are quite a few songs on this disc that come off a bit heavy handed and overwrought, In the Face of War seems to have their hearts in the right place and that's tacked out in the open on scrawny tattooed sleeves.
If you are into the whole Deathwish Inc. scene I would urge you to pick this band because you would more likely be into In the Face of War more than I ever would. I can't overstress the fact that We Make Our Own Luck is a good album for what it is, yet, I have just had enough of this type of hardcore for right now. There is a cover of "All for Fun" as a hidden track. That doesn't mean anything to me because I never heard the original. Honestly, I was hoping for a rambunctious version of the Fighters of Foo's "Hero."
