Welcome To The Masquerade
Posted September 01, 2009
By piano89,
One of Christian music’s most popular Canadian bands, Thousand Foot Krutch, unveils
its fifth studio album Welcome To The Masquerade. This project marks the return of
Aaron Sprinkle, who produced the group’s break-out album Phenomenon. Welcome To
The Masquerade invites you to take off your mask and confess “I’m not o.k.”
“The Invitation” serves as a foreshadowing of what’s to come - aggressive guitars,
haunting piano parts, and thumping beats. From the opening verse of the title-track long-
time fans will be pleased to hear Trevor McNevan bringing back the rhythmic vocal
stylings of Phenomenon. Setting the stage for the album McNevan raps “Take a look
around at the sea of masks/And come one, come all, welcome to the grand ball.”
Getting it’s title from a 1960’s X-men comic, “E for Extinction” picks up on the album’s
theme of “camouflaging” flaws and pain - “When we move/We camouflage
ourselves/We stand in the shadows waiting/We live for this and nothing more/We are
what you created.” Expanding on the theme, the string-laced ballad “Look Away”
encourages listeners not to hold their pain inside, instead give it up to God. He will “take
all these cuts and make them shine.”
“Smackdown” sounds like a fusion of “Rawkfist” and Queen’s “We Will Rock You.”
The anthem is sure to translate well into a live setting, as well as the gutsy “Fire It Up.”
Along with fist-pumping anthems, Welcome To The Masquerade contains some wicked
breakdowns, the best one being found on “The Part That Hurts The Most (Is Me).”
Remaining rather tame at first, the mid-tempo song lets loose after the bridge with
McNevan screaming “No! Stay away from me/Get up! I’m tryin’ to walk away/It just
won’t let up!”
The softer songs seem to be the weaker points of Welcome To The Masquerade, most
would have been better suited for McNevan’s side project FM Static. However, the
ballad “Already Home” is a definite highlight of the album. One of the more spiritually
overt songs, McNevan humbly cries out “Now I am on my face/And I’m calling out
Your name/And I won’t run away/’Cause I’m already home.”
Combining the catchy hooks of The Flame In All Of Us and the rhythmic elements of
Phenomenon, Welcome To The Masquerade finds a happy medium that will likely satisfy
TFK’s massive fan base. Though ambiguous at times, the album’s message is a solid
one, letting listeners know it’s okay to take off your “mask” and reveal your inner
struggles or hurt because that is the first step toward healing.
Closing Thoughts:
Trevor McNevan describes Welcome To The Masquerade as “… pedal to the metal.”
That it is. Upon first listen, it is evident that Welcome To The Masquerade is one of the
best rock albums of the year.
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