British post-hardcore band Funeral For A Friend released their sixth studio album this week, Conduit, and it’s the first featuring their new drummer, Pat Lundy. Lundy became the band’s permanent drummer after the departure of Ryan Richards, and was also the drummer for the London group Rise To Remain. With vocals varying from brassy yelling featured throughout most of the release to the harmonious hook in “Best Friends And Hospital Beds,” Conduit makes for an interesting and vivid disc. From the opener, “Spine,” it’s clear that the album will be brash and charming in its own way. Although the CD has its angst-filled, coming-of-age moments, if the breakdowns and harsh riffs are stripped away, the lyrical content of the band’s songs actually do carry some weight.
As Conduit bellows on, there aren’t many songs that feel redundant; that is, until you get to just about the end. “Grey” seems to drag on for longer than its 2:14 runtime. This particular piece is slightly hard to get through seeing how it just sounds like Kreye yelling a rant over your standard post-hardcore drum rolls and face-melting style strings, which in retrospect would barely be hot enough to melt a Popsicle. The more melodic “Elements” adds variety to the already diverse release, showing that Funeral For A Friend can cover various sounds on a disc and still makes it flow naturally. Although Conduit’s finale features some religious themes, it’s also applicable to everyday life and isn’t shoved down the listener’s throat.
In A Word: Fantastic
