Reviews

Every label seems to be picking up one of these bands now, and I guess you can't blame them for trying to capitalize on the success they've obviously seen from Solid State. Yes, that's right, I'm talking about Underoath rip off bands. I have a lot of expertise in this area, as I've not only lived in Florida for the better part of the past 6 years, but I've played shows with Underoath and hell, even my old band's style bit them a little bit. So I'm just as guilty as the next guy, but you see where I'm coming from. Rise Records has picked up Here I Come Falling, Trustkill picks up Memphis May Fire, Ferret has Maylene and the Sons of Disaster (the previous singer of Underoath's new band). Come on guys, I understand you're not a direct copy, but you share a lot of similarities.

So I take it by now you understand that Memphis May Fire is a melodic hardcore band, or at least you should. To set themselves apart, they've added more straight up rock sections to their songs, as well as a little bit of Texas charm from their hometown of Dallas with some southern rock feel to their songs. I have to say that I was pretty impressed by the majority of this record as they've shown a lot of promise. "Neutron Cameras vs. Smuggled Nuclear Bombs" highlights of some their guitar abilities ranging from tapping to southern jams to heavy riffs. The heavier tracks on the album are probably the last two, "History of Mercia" and "Conjunctions Conjunctions, Everybody Loves Them." But with as impressed as I was by the record, it's still just your standard sing/scream rock/hardcore hybrid record. With it being just an EP, I am hoping that it means there will be a full length coming out soon with all new material, and that (I hope) will be enough to boost Memphis May Fire above and beyond the hurdles they face coming from a genre that isn't exactly condensed, in fact it's pretty watered down.

I will say however, that the more I listened to the record, the more it grew on me. It hasn't climbed into my constant rotation, but I've rocked it on a number of occasions. If you're into Underoath, The Devil Wears Prada, Norma Jean, or bands like that, give this a listen through. It won't blow you away, but it'll be enough to entertain you at least until their full length comes out.