Fjord Lives Lives

Lives Lives is the debut full-length by Eulogy Recordings' Fjord, a group touting ex-members of defunct acts Winter Solstice and the Takeover/To the Grave.While it is possible to link some elements of Fjord's sound back to the work of the band's previous members, one listen of Lives Lives reveals a much more prominent Botch influence throughout the entire disc. In fact, so much of Lives Lives is a recreation of that signature gritty Botch metalcore sound that it's hard to really know what to do with this disc. On one hand, this album is musically solid and quite competent from start to finish, but on the other hand, it is completely lacking an original style. And to make matters worse, the fact that Fjord sounds so similar to Botch makes it inevitable that they will be lumped into musical categories with Norma Jean. But in all fairness, Lives Lives is a rather decent debut. These guys pull off the Botch style with ease, as the album is packed with odd time signatures, mathy riffs, and great intensity. The opening tracks explode with an immediate sense of urgency, and the album doesn't take a breather until it reaches a musical lull in "Dining with Rats," a slowly escalating instrumental track featuring subtle strings and clean guitar work. The harsh screams of vocalist Matt Tarpey are never lacking, and the decision to stay away from any type of singing is a definite plus. Even the noise and slow feedback of "A.] Shape" is an interesting and well structured lead in to its second half in "B.] Shifter." Yet as much as Fjord succeeds with certain elements of Lives Lives, it is simply difficult to get overly excited about another Botch influenced band. This record is a perfect example of a common question in modern music: is it better for a band to risk failure in innovation or to succeed in the execution of a proven formula For those fans of Botch (and of course, Botch sound-a-likes) who would rather see the latter, Lives Lives is the complete package. But for those seeking something new to get excited about, this album just isn't going to cut it. Bottom Line: Lives Lives is definitely a musically competent debut from Fjord, but its overall lack of originality and complete Botch emulation is a bit of a turn-off. This record is a perfect fit for those not concerned with innovation and simply looking for a solid album, but for the rest, it's difficult to say anything other than "...but it sounds like Botch."