The Fire

On their fourth full-length album, The Fire, Senses Fail once again prove themselves to be one of the most consistent heavy-hitters in the post-hardcore world. Like the album's namesake, The Fire starts with a small spark that quickly builds itself into an emotional blaze that burns steadily across all 11 tracks, taking the listener on an exceptional musical ride. With its steady pace, the album is less like a roller coaster and more like a Tilt-A-Whirl where, rather than dealing with highs and lows, you’re always moving fast, but you may or may not also be spinning. Instead of giving a respite with tempo, Senses Fail instead rescue the listener with shifts in tone. The band cuts the densely melodic pop of “Saint Anthony” nicely with the anxious heaviness of “New Year’s Eve,” shifting gears from good cop to bad cop effortlessly. The band reproduces this feat again as it shifts from the straight-ahead drive of “Irish Eyes” to the careful build of “Hold On,” which closes out the album on a high note with a kind of grand emotional release filled with gang vocals and big, bright guitar work as The Fire smolders out, putting a bow on yet another solid outing from Senses Fail. ~ Gregory Heaney