Funeral For a Friend – Chapter and Verse

Following the success of their re-mastered “best of” Between Order and Model, its about time the Welsh rockers graced our ears with some new material isn’t it? After seemingly dropping off the face of the earth for a year, Funeral For A Friend are back with a bang with a UK headline tour, in the middle of which new album Chapter and Verse is released, demonstrating why FFAF have been on top of their game for so long.

Stand By Me For The Millionth Time kicks in with raw and angst-ridden vocals with ominous chords chiming in the background before the eventual and brutal early climax that shakes off the softer and slower guise that FFAF have had stapled to them since Tales Don’t Tell Themselves.

You’ve Got A Bad Case Of The Religions takes this one step further, jumping straight in with no warning to a fraught frenzy of yelled vocals, racing guitars and pounding drums and bass keeping the tempo alive and kicking before slowing down into Pencil Pusher; though not much. There’s a slow and winding introduction and outro, coupled with harmonious vocals and gang shouts that appear almost choral.

Single 1% seems almost out of place on this record as it is soothing and melodic compared to the raw punk style demonstrated so far, though this is raw lyrically instead of musically with cutting words to juxtapose against the seemingly calm instrumentals. This paradox is similarly seen in acoustic ode Brother, though it could lull any listener to sleep as well as break their heart.

All of this blood, sweat and heart ache leads up to The Jade Tree Years Were My Best, an eight minute spectacular demonstrating everything that makes Funeral For A Friend who they are and why generations have loved and respected them. It has a glorious mix of soulful singing and bellowing growls, brooding chords and squealing guitar hook highs, a dark and deep bass line coming to the forefront, booming drum work and a poignant exhilarating end. Its almost an aural journey through their whole discography as it spans different styles generated from all of their releases and is the perfect way to highlight their decades of experience.

There is a reason FFAF have been around for as long as they have and still remained relevant icons in the UK and global music scene, it is because they consistently release solid records that encapsulate all the passion they have for music, the experience they have had throughout their lives and the knowledge they have accumulated musically, for everyone to see laid bare. I will give up with music the day FFAF put out a poor record, and I have a feeling, I won’t have to ever give up if this release is anything to go by.

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