Posted on: October 24, 2009 Posted by: anfnewsacct Comments: 1

Starting off more metal than “radiohead-ish” as DallasTexasMusic.com would have it, “Forgive Nothing” is some of the cutting edge of what is now being considered emo music, in that it mixes flawlessly a generous bass along with the shrillness of Logan’s vocals just as they mix down-and-dirty rock with punk music. Each track on “Forgive Nothing” is aurally similar enough to make this album a specific blip on the timeline of A Faith Called Chaos’ history. Tracks like “Boxing With Bayonets” make the easy comparison of A Faith Called Chaos to Fu Manchu, who were also heavily influenced by the 70s sound. Logan’s smooth vocals provide the perfect contract to the gritty guitars laid down on “Witless and White Knuckled”, causing the track to work on two incredibly different levels. The screeching guitar solo laid down in “The Tennessee Promise Still Loves The Texas Lie”, instead of creating a diametrically opposite environment as it did during “Witless and White Knucked”, fluctuates in and alongside Logan’s vocals throughout the entirety of the track. This really increases the amount of aural cohesion that A Faith Called Chaos can claim that they have, as some of the tracks on “Forgive Nothing” are slightly antiseptic, in the sense that everything is neatly laid down. While this might be seen as a positive, some of the most personal music is slightly sloppy.

Sadly, “Forgive Nothing” blasts through incredibly fast, wrapping up before the listener can get their fill of A Faith Called Chaos. The disc holds up well to repeat listening, and the music is complex enough, drawing from enough sources to not be dated five, ten, or fifteen years down the road. Stomachs churn at the brutal guitars laid down during “Ten Thousand Times Tongue and Cheek”, just as Joe Trujillo’s bass work does during the opening for the ultimate track, “I Hate This City”.

Throughout “Forgive Nothing”, there is nothing in the way of weak tracks, and the only thing that can be said is that A Faith Called Chaos may struggle to get something in the way of radio and video acceptance – their melodies too complex, their sound too far away from anything popular to really gain the acceptance that a Boys Night Out or Yellowcard has gotten. If by chance, any one flips through the CDs at their local FYE, flip through Eve and Evanescence to get to A Faith Called Chaos. They really won’t disappoint.

Top Tracks: They Leave A Small Hum In Their Wake, Witless and White Knuckled

Rating: 6.6/10

A Faith Called Chaos – Forgive Nothing / 2004 Volcom / 10 Tracks / http://www.afaithcalledchaos.com / http://www.volcoment.com / Reviewed 03 July 2004

1 people reacted on this

  1. 70s influenced and sounds like Fu Manchu? Do you really know what Fu Manchu sounds like? Apparently not. They are a very popular local band here in Dallas and sound NOTHING like Fu Manchu. AFCC is a very good band but you have misled your readers in a big, big way. Maybe you should listen to the band and Fu Manchu and other 70s sounding bands and re-do your review with accurate comparisons.

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