Fresh and powerful…
Out on 17 June 2016 and reviewed by Angie K
I must say, alternative rock has never really been my cup of tea, but I was really curious to find out what the Canadian giants Thousand Foot Krutch have created this time round. Their seventh album, Exhale, did actually make me enjoy this tea rather a lot. They are a fine example of the genre and demonstrate just how brilliant alternative rock can be. With many reminiscences and references (Rage Against the Machine, Papa Roach, Nickelback, Shinedown, Linkin Park, System of a Down and many more), the trio somehow manages to find their own space in this popular and rather mainstream type of rock music. They are a perfect amalgamation of a number of genres, starting with alternative, through heavy metal and grunge, and even a bit of pop.
Thousand Foot Krutch demonstrate how raw energy can be tamed with melodic and romantic tunes. Prime example are the tracks ‘Incomplete’ and ‘Off The Rails’, which sounds deceptively melodic and easy going, nearly pop, before the rough riffs and heavy rhythm take over again, supported by McNevan’s great vocals. They are simply not the type of band you can put in a box, which is what makes them so good to listen to.
The whole CD bursts with an energy that is contagious and makes you nod to the rhythm even if you don’t really feel like it. With the mix of genres and serious, socially engaging lyrics, this album may appeal to fans of various musical styles, so is well worth giving it a listen even if alternative rock is not really your favourite type of music.
What I find impossible to resist here are the explosive riffs (‘Incomplete’, ‘Give Up The Ghost’, ‘Lifeline’), as well as the mind blowing recitatives shouted out with energetic emotion and faster than the speed of light (‘Adrenaline’ – not even sure how this is humanly possible). I particularly enjoyed the RATM references: ‘Different Kind of Dynamite’ (which also sounds a lot like Nickelback), but especially the entire ‘Can’t Stop This’, which doesn’t sound any worse than RATM themselves. So, if you fancy something fresh and powerful, give this tea a go! Highly recommended.
9 out of 10
Track List:
- Running With Giants
- Incomplete
- Give Up The Ghost
- Different Kind Of Dynamite
- The River
- Push
- Off The Rails
- Adrenaline
- Lifeline
- Can’t Stop This
- Born Again
- Honest – Romantic
