Memphis May Fire have spent the past year working on their 5th album. The first single, "Carry On", follows the standard set by last year's "My Generation" and "Stay the Course". The band are maturing into a class act, and we look forward to hearing the full album. "This Light I Hold" is set to be released October 28.
To preoder the album on iTunes click this (link).
Sticking to the combination of modern rock and metal, Memphis May Fire open themselves up to the masses for this song. Fusing their "down and dirty" metalcore with some hard rock and radio rock flavors, the band have seemingly hit the ground running with this new track.
The song holds enough of the "core" aspects without over doing things too much. There are chugs, there are a few short breakdowns, but there are also a few new things that we love. The intro starts with a melodic guitar from Kellen McGregor. The verse holds true to MMF style, with the lead guitar sparking energy throughout. While Matty Mullin's vocals are as deep and growling as always.
But again, the real standout would be the lead guitar moments from McGregor. We would have loved to see more of the lead guitar in this song. Any maybe some more energetic drumming from Jake Garland. His work on the verses is sporadic as usual, and then the chorus slows down. He still leans too much on china cymbals and that double bass. It's nothing new, just standard metalcore drums.
The chorus is anthemic enough without sounding too cheesy. Yes that implies it is a bit cheesy, but then again most songs about overcoming adversity come off a little cheesy. Mullins does a solid job of selling the message without becoming a cliche of himself. Unlike on the previous album, "Unconditional", he isn't shoving religion down the listeners throat and ears.
Summary -
All in all, this is a good way to start this new era of Memphis May Fire. Mullins ditches the overly religious lyrics for a more approachable message. The band are tighter than ever, and the only real complaint one could have is that this is a "safe" release. It's grounded firmly in the band's comfort zone, and doesn't offer anything new. But it's still one of the band's strongest songs. Recommended for fans of We Came as Romans, The Amity Affliction and Crown the Empire.
Rating - 7.5 to 8/10