Final Fight finally return with their second full-length. After releasing the acclaimed Under Attack in 2005 the band signed to Deathwish Inc. with promises of new recordings. They soon released a split 7" with Life Long Tragedy but then the wait for the band's next studio effort seemed to last forever. After parting ways with the label, Final Fight finally announced the release of Half Head, Full Shred, and it does not disappoint.
A building intro track leads into "Dinosaurs" - two and a half minutes of melodic hardcore angst in its purest form. The closing breakdown/sing-along combo is awesome - totally reminds me of what bands like Verse had been doing as of late. "Hidden" is a bit more aggressive than the preceding track. It barely lasts over a minute, but it's packed with so much intensity throughout. There is a great groove at the end that reminds me of plenty of the mid-90's post-hardcore acts. So good!
While "Machines" continues the listening experience with its aggressive and modern hardcore approach, "Detox" brings influence from fast-paced melodic hardcore of the Revelation catalog to the forefront. "Rage" is the first of the two tracks revisited from the band's split 7". Final Fight re-works "T.S." as well. Both are pretty true to their original versions, though the production is a bit more raw. This is probably a result of the cost of recording an entire album versus just a couple of songs.
As one makes their way through Half Head, Full Shred the varied influences continue to show themselves. The obvious influence of groups like Gorilla Biscuits and Bane are there, but then groups like Quicksand and Snapcase begin to showcase their sounds further. "Trust the Shark" and "Exhausted" boast some stellar guitar riffs that bring to mind Slip. And on "Day-53," the slow churning mid-tempo pace is akin to the body of work of Modern Life is War.
Closing track "Anagnorisis" is a great number to conclude the album with. Final Fight deliver what they do best: fast-paced hardcore with quaint interjections of melody. But for the most part, it's a raging hardcore jam every second of the way through.
Half Head, Full Shred is an impressive piece of hardcore music. It's worth noting the band has chosen to self-release the album; the vinyl version is being handled by Panic Records. So it would behoove you to support the band and pick this up if you're into what you hear.
