Strong Debut With Still Breathing| Posted November 11, 2018 What You Need To Know: With 2016’s Unleashed being more electronic and pop-driven, many Skillet fans were left craving the heavy, driving sound that dominated Skillet’s early arsenal. John Cooper and Seth Morrison, bassist/vocalist and lead guitarist of Skillet respectively, have responded with a project that is designed to satisfy the Skillet fans who long for their heavier side. Joined by drummer Jared Ward and guitarist John Panzer, Fight The Fury seeks to display a heavier side of Skillet's members, while also creating it's own identity.
What It Sounds Like: It is quite clear that Nu-Metal, particularly the likes of Slipknot, was the primary influence on this record. The songs are structured in a way that is instantly familiar to Skillet fans, but with a more aggressive riffing style that provides a high contrast to the groovy, chug-filled riffs of Comatose and Collide. At times, however, the riffing comes a little too close to the Slipknot influence, as many parallels can be drawn between “Lose Hold of It All” and songs like “Psychosocial”, “My Demons,” “Duality”, and so on. The guitarists are worthy of special mention, as both Seth Morrison and John Panzer showcase their shredding capabilities, taking advantage of the extended bridges to create impressive guitar compositions. John Cooper flexes his vocal muscles on this EP, demonstrating his versatility as a vocalist with a myriad of belts and screams to emphasize the shift to a more tenacious style.
Spiritual Highlights: Being a heavier record, the EP omits many of Skillet’s lyrical tropes in favor of a darker lyrical style, apart from “Still Burning” which talks about salvation and burning for Christ. The record will provide comfort and solace for those infected with rage and pain, and those who are seeking a more aggressive sound to release their emotions.
Best Song On The Record: The first single and opening track “My Demons” is without a doubt the best song on the record. While it maintains the Skillet formula in it's structure and design, it also borders on metalcore, with a healthy balance of John Cooper’s raspy barking and his brutal screaming. The main riff, while drawing comparisons to Slipknot’s “Duality”, demonstrates a technical side of Morrison not seen in Skillet. The vocal melodies are the best on the EP, the song has an extremely catchy chorus which will get stuck in your head for hours, and it is sure to have a huge impact live.
Final Word: While Still Breathing is not as heavy as something like Impending Doom, Fight The Fury’s debut release is able to showcase a heavier variation of Skillet that is sure to draw a large portion of the band’s massive fanbase. This EP will satisfy fans of Skillet, while also satisfying those who find the band to be lacking aggression. Fight The Fury is very much a child of Skillet, but is able to create memorable riffs and aggression that will hopefully be found on a future Skillet record.
to add lyrics if not listed.
