36 CRAZY FISTS ALBUM CD-REVIEW by Dillon Collins
Has there been a more criminally under-appreciated band in all of modern metalcore than 36 Crazy Fists? The Alaskan cohort have been plugging away, churning out fierce riffs and guttural screams complimented by anger-soaked melodies for over 20 years. They should, certainly, be a major player in the scene. Whether a by-product of being too melodic for the hardcores, too heavy for the conservative fan, or some odd anomaly in between, something has been lost in translation, and shamefully so.
While they may not have gotten their just due, and may never in fact catch the world afire at this stage of the game, 36 Crazyfists continue to produce quality with their eighth studio album Lanterns.
Perhaps wearing their anger on their sleeve, Lanterns kicks off with the appropriately angst ridden Death Eater, before moving into much more refined hard rock territory with a metalcore twinge on Wars To Walk Away From.
Anthematic tracks Better To Burn and Bandage For Promise are juxtaposed against the trudging guitars of Sleepsick and decidedly heavy Below The Graves and Old Gold. In utter and complete contrast, Dark Corners is a melodic ballad of sorts that ends the album on a firmly somber and haunting note.
While there is a case to be made that Lanterns tries to appease too many masters, and that by interweaving between a heavy alternative sound and one more fast paced and piercing they run the risk of becoming outliers on all fronts, there is no doubt there are points to be gained for creativity.
There’s sure to be detractors, those who would prefer a more straight-forward and consistent sound. While Lanterns is not likely to light the world afire, it is a worthy entry into a relatively consistent discography, one that offers a wide spread for assorted tastes. 7/10
Dillon Collins / MHF Magazine
