FollySussex county’s (NJ) Folly return with their much anticipated follow up to Insanity Later. These guys are considered to be at the forefront of ska influenced metalcore. However, they also manage to incorporate elements of punk hardcore as well as post hardcore elements here and there, even some odes to their fellow neighbors in Thursday. And if there is one genre you can really experiment with it’s metalcore, you can face fuck the shit out of it and still have it fall under the guise of metalcore, as long as theirs enough churning chug a longs. Now this seems like something that is new but in actuality it really isn’t, I’ll admit not many bands do it especially with the decline of ska over the last few years but the one thing that always bugged me with these guys is that its evident they love ska because it’s stamped all over their songs but I must know, where the fuck is the trumpet?! I mean Jesus XIII PFP (Forever I Burn) as well played the metalcore ska thing, maybe not to the full extent but they even had the horn action going on, and if you’re going to have ska you damn well better have some horns. Well now that I got that out of my system....This release is 2 steps ahead in terms of song composition compared to Insanity Later which came off way too forced with song structuring that lacked cohesion. I’ll have to admit some of the songs on this album are down right good and catchy, especially the ska parts. They do a much better job this time around fusing their love for ska while maintaining a ferocious metalcore attack with plenty of off timed breakdowns and chugs to appease fans of various forms of metalcore across the board. The actual ska parts are a lot more effective this time around, really showing the talents of their bassist, who gets to showcase his abilities. As well as the vocalist who actually changes his singing approach when the ska parts kick in rather than the monotonous shrieks he used to employ, his voice has become a lot more well rounded and versatile. The production is on key, the guitars have all the crunch needed for the catastrophic breakdowns and all the clarity needed for the up beat ska parts. The rhythm section sounds phenomenal, the bass has a great presence and tone. I can’t really comment too much on the layout etc., because the copy I got is a plain old pre promo copy with no info whatsoever, just letting you know don’t bother ripping it because you can’t. Fucking stupid if you ask me. Either way, this isn’t ground breaking, but they are able to do a good job of making it their own identifiable sound. If you liked their older material you will love this because it outshines anything they’ve previously released by days. This is a good album for the kids who demand diversity in their metalcore.
Rating: 3.5/5
Songs worthy of replay: All The Kings Horses
Thesis: It’s a melting pot of influences that make up this metalcore outfit, at times coming off brilliant, while at others failing miserably at their attempts of implementing new ideas, but at the end of the day, it’s a respectable album written by more than capable musicians.