Senses Fail - What The Thunder Said, Hell Is In Your Head (2022?) Album • Page 22

Oh absolutely agreed, I had just forgotten how many moments were Renacer-like and that Thorns wasn’t as much of a drastic shift back to an older sound as I remembered

 

Think this is probably right at the bottom for me with Thorns, just cannot get into it at all.

 

Thorns has some great tracks but the downfall of that record was Buddy writing most of it. Renacer is literally the best SF record in my eyes so Thorns (while better than Light or Hell) was still a massive let down for me.

 

the screaming on this record sound like someone that was running out of studio time and had to do it quickly. do a shot every time he pronounces "me" as "may".

 

also, is there another album coming or was this the "double" album as in he changed the key on the second half.

 

Another albums worth of material pretty much ready to go, he thinks there will be a release down the line, whether it’s a deluxe version of this with a ton of b sides or it’s own thing he’s undecided on yet

 

The lifeblood of any thread is rankings, right?

Ranking of their album openers:

1) “Renacer” (Renacer)
2) “Double Cross” (ITILIWFY)
3) “The Burial of the Dead” (HIIYH)
4) “The Fire” (The Fire)
5) “The Rapture” (SS)
6) “Tie Her Down” (LIEY)
7) “Fireworks at Dawn” (LINAWR)
8) “The Three Marks of Existence” (PTTFYH)

I had assumed “Tie Her Down” would be last but “Fireworks” works better as an intro the next song, but by itself it doesn’t do much for me and “Three Marks” has weak screams and fast talk vocals which almost always bug me. “Tie Her Down” at least still has a chorus that is addicting, no matter how cringey the lyrics can be.

Album Artwork rankings:

1) Renacer
2) PTTFYH
3) HIIYH
4) LINAWR
5) ITILIWFY
6) The Fire
7) SS
8) LIEY

 

Ranking of their album openers:

1) “Renacer” (Renacer)
2) “The Rapture” (SS)
3) “Fireworks at Dawn” (LINAWR)
4) “The Three Marks of Existence” (PTTFYH)
5) “Tie Her Down” (LIEY)
6) “The Fire” (The Fire)
7) “Double Cross” (ITILIWFY)
8) “The Burial of the Dead” (HIIYH)

 

The Rapture
Fireworks At Dawn
The Burial of the Dead
Renacer
The Three Marks Of Existence
Double Cross
The Fire
Tie Her Down

 

This and Hell is in your head are instant classics.

 

Openers:
The Fire
The Rapture
The Burial Of The Dead
Fireworks At Dawn
Tie Her Down
Double Cross
Renacer
TTMOE

Album Artwork - just chose my favs
ITILIWFY
HIIYH
The Fire
FTDOD

 

I’ve listened to this more now and I feel like the only songs I really enjoy are the first two? Maybe I’ll like it more when I have a child, but man, the entire album just isn’t good to me. It’s so weird to feel like this about a Senses Fail album… I’m traditionally trash for them and love everything they do.

I also feel like he continues to write about the exact same themes he just wrote about an album ago, except this time he covers it in saying he took inspiration from poems.

It’s funny- when he was writing about hating himself for entire albums I wasn’t complaining about the overlapping themes.

 

I actually really enjoy this album. "Hell In Your Head" has this kinda swing chorus and background vocals that I really enjoy. "The Fire Sermon" is classic SF. It's a very catchy album. There's a few downsides - the heavier parts aside from "Death By Water" sound pretty forced and I have no idea why they opened the album with "The Burial of the Dead". Not the best start.

 

Been listening to this new album on repeat and am really loving it. Favorite track might be The Fire Sermon but I'm really liking everything.

 

Appreciate and applaud Buddy for changing keys midway through on some of these songs :)

 

Think my favorite so far has been “What the Thunder Said”. I keep returning to that one a lot whenever I don’t just listen to the whole album.

Still perplexed by some of the screaming. Like another user said, sounds like Buddy(?) did one take and had to rush through it or something. Just does not sound very good but luckily is very rarely utilized.

 

Are they touring as a 4 piece right now?

 

After spending a bit more time with the album, I'd easily rate this above Light.

In regards to the criticisms about the album, a big part imo is that this is low key a musically "complex" album; like far more complex than anything Buddy has written in the past. There are lot of prog rock things happening throughout the album i.e. random/unexpected song structures, key changes, leaning heavily into the minor scale etc.

I understand people having a hard time but give it another shot as once things start clicking and making sense, it's actually a really good listen :)

 

A few listens in now - I do keep coming back to it and some of the production choices are sitting better with me now but overall, this is my least favorite sounding SF record since LIEY and it really does impact my enjoyment of the songs. More separation between the instruments would let these songs really breathe.

Also, been reflecting on Buddy's lyrical changes over the years. From specific metaphors/allegorical situations using shock and horror elements in the early years through The Fire, to the more abstract spiritual philosophy of Renacer and PTTFYH, to the really direct, diaristic style on these last two records. I don't have a formed opinion there (beyond the new stuff being more earnest but sometimes clunky), but thought it was interesting.

 

Apparently Buddy's wife sings on the chorus of the last song :)

 

I don’t think any aspect of this album is complex. This is really boring, which is a shame because this band really started getting more interesting with Renacer and Thorns. I get that they weren’t going to go back to that sound, but I’d much rather take SS, LINAWR, and The Fire over this and the last one they did.

This band just ain’t it for me anymore, it seems.

 

Looks like it

 

Yup Greg left.

 

Wow this must've only been made final/just happened in the last day or two then.

Hopefully no bad blood or anything like that but none of the guys are following him on IG :(

 

I just checked he’s being followed by them still, as far I know he went to do real estate full time.