Album Review: Five Finger Death Punch - AfterLife
Reviewed by Tim Finch
Five Fiver Death Punch have carved themselves out a very successful career so far, spanning twenty three years and now nine studio albums. They can fill arenas on their own merit and have a legion of fans around the world. Yet on the flip side, their music does not stand out from the rest, it is not unique, and lacks originality. Lifting up a template other bands have used and rehashing it to great success; it would seem. Their brand of cookie cutter metal still seems popular.
‘AfterLife’ is the bands ninth studio album, and gets released this August via Better Noise. ‘Welcome to the Circus’ introduces the listener to the latest work, a quirky circus tune turns dark leading us to a menacing voice “Welcome to the Circus”. The song itself continues a style the band have forged on previous albums, infusing groove into their heavy brand with ease.
The band continue their variances in styles across the album, much like their previous works. No song seamlessly plays into the next, instead you are left wondering what will come next, which at times is no bad thing. ‘All I Know’ has a ballad-esq quality to it, though I hesitate to call it an outright ballad. ‘Times Like These’ lulls you into a sense of security with its melodies and power, whilst ‘Judgement Days’ has hints of EDM and industrial metal in amongst a style thank seems lifted straight from the Clawfinger mould of twenty five years ago.
In ‘Afterlife’ Five Finger Death Punch have delivered an album that fits with the brand they have built so far. There is nothing offensive about this album, nothing sounds bad, yet it maintains the bands lack of originality, no pushing of boundaries and contains nothing that hasn’t been done before. Five Finger Death Punch fans will no doubt love it, but this does nothing to win over the doubters.
