The Iowan metal cavalry known as For Today recently released their fifth studio release titled “Fight The Silence.” The band is known for their message-driven music, providing insight on various issues and the subject of religion itself and they continue to break barriers with this new record.
1) Molotov – This is a really strong opening on the album. What I really love about this piece is the instrumentation, because the riffing can be heard in the background and it is rather impressive as I have not heard much like it from them.
2) Fight the Silence – This song belongs to Ryan Leitru for the most part although Mattie Montgomery continues to command his audience with his vocals with the assistance of the barrage of in-your-face guitar work. For me, Leitru’s cleans outshine everything else here along with his melodious tune, which will be stuck in my head and other metal lovers alike. Montgomery’s chanting, “FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!” will have concert fans pumped and more energetic than they can ever be. The lyrics and themes surrounding the suffering induced by human trafficking only add to the song’s momentum and power.
3) Pariah – I feel as this is some of For Today’s strongest songwriting right here. They sing about innocence and false guilt in this piece, which is pretty powerful. Montgomery puts his vocals to the test and proves that he has the definitive voice and his screams stand out from the rest of the pack.
4) Reflections – This is another instance in which Leitru has his moment to shine and proves it to us once again through his soothing vocals and can do so much more behind that guitar playing. It’s not a very long piece but it is nonetheless a nice transition with some great singing.
5) Break The Cycle – Here we have an amazing example of songwriting again. The band sings about the inevitable destruction of the world and how we as a human race are being ignorant and choose to do nothing about it, which in its own, is a sad reality to live with. Props to them with their social messages, more bands should follow suit. Matty Mullins of Memphis May Fire fame makes a guest appearance on this track and his familiar vocals blend in with that of Montgomery’s in perfect unison.
6) A Call To Arms – Here we have a pretty great track. It opens up with some unusual screams from Montgomery, which is surprising since he almost always growls. Nonetheless, it is nice to see him try something new and I commend him for his efforts. Although the vocals are nonetheless powerful, what really drew me in this track was the background instrumentation. The guitar work and drumming is phenomenal. The blast beats will surely pound your ears with full force with no holding back. The riffing in the song, especially the melodies during the chorus, are surely humming and head banging material. I see this track as a mark in the band’s evolution.
7) For The Fallen – This song is spewing with melodies all around throughout its course. The vocals and guitar harmonize and send the listener in metal core nirvana. Summarizing the perfect mix of both aggression and calm, it is worth the listen and the outro is surprisingly one of the amazing parts of this song, if not the best, in my opinion.
8) Fatherless – “Tell me who I am … I can hardly stand.” The melody in the chorus is one that I will be humming if not singing for a very long time. The clean and vocals clash and depend on each other to fuel the energy emitted in this track. This is a great representation of the band’s message and use of the contrast of the singers’ voices.
9) Dead to Rights – This track is filled with religious messages and allegory, symbolizing exactly what For Today stands for and why they create music.
10) One Voice – This track is pretty much similar to the last one, bringing about messages and sung without any support clean vocals. Despite this, Montgomery stands on his own two feet and releases all of his aggression in the microphone.
11) Resonate – Leitru is back again and brings out the counterpart of the aggressive quintet. He lets his listeners that there is still hope for them with the aid of an accompanying orchestra. It’s a very short track but an amazing one nonetheless. I wished it was longer.
12) Hated by the World – Here we have the last track of the record. This is a pretty upbeat track despite the title; it would not be surprising to see this as a concert favorite if it does appear on the set list. The guitar melodies really stood out for me in this track during the verses in addition to the bridge, which was something that wasn’t seen in any track beforehand. Leitru once again shines in the second half of the song as he joins Montgomery, who is relentless and stands as a tank ready to face his maker. It is a great conclusion to this album.
After listening to this album, I’m going to decide whether fans who have stuck with their material since their inception would enjoy this album or not. Does it have messages and uplifting symbolism? Check. Does it have tremendous vocal delivery from Mattie Montgomery and Ryan Leitru? Check. Is it something new and does not alter the For Today formula that you have all grown to love? Check. “Fight The Silence” serves as a testament to what the band has always strived to do, promoting their faith through uplifting lyrics and great music. For Today has kept true to their roots throughout the entire course of the album, so I don’t think there should be any excuses or debates regarding the steps they have taken here. There is ever growing energy present in this album, which shall keep listeners hooked for months if not days to come. This is seen in part because of Ryan Leitru’s clean vocals, which shine wherever they are present and raises the bar on their musical ability. It was a great listen throughout and I hope you all enjoy it just as much as I did. If you are a metal fan, give it a listen. If you are a For Today fan, there are no excuses to not check it out, trust me on this. “Fight The Silence” is out in stores now so grab a copy today!
Rating: 8.5/10
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