Label: Facedown
Release: July 11 2006
Hometown: CA



7 (out of 10)


With 3 Major releases under their belt, Alove For Enemies' "Resistance" journies into listeners heads as the follow up to their last release entitled "The Harvest". This album continues on with each aspect that has defined this band's sound from the beginning, Honesty, Friendship, Respect, and Faith, These major themes can be found lyrically throughout this album. Upon listening to this brutal blend of melodic hardcore, one might question the fact that this band is infact a christian band, but with this eleven song anthology Alove For Enemies are here to make the fact known.

   To kick off the album, Alove For Enemies start us off with the title track of the album. This song builds us up and flows straight into a Melodic breakdown followed by the "Battle Cries" of "Raging War". This song serves as a precursor to what is in store for the rest of the album. After it's ubrupt ending "The Resistance" is followed up by "Tread on My Dreams". This song starts off with a technical arrangement of drum fills and snare rolls before falling into the songs first breakdown. After a quick break and solo scream, we are introduced to a few progressive power chord parts that Alove For Enemies have become well known for. To bring the intensity back up before the songs end, ALove For Enemies break it back down for us and then jump right into the third song on the album. At a length of 3 Minutes and 3 seconds, "Hall of Mirrors" is built up of fast paced double bass patterns and catchy two-step parts. Just when you think the song is over, Alove For Enemies jump into one of the albums most destructive breakdowns.

   With track titles such as "Wishes For the Cloths of Heaven" and "Call it Faith" it's pretty obvious in the middlemost songs of the album, where this band stands on the subject of religion. With lyrics such as "You are the real traitors, You are the real sell outs" it's also quite evident that Alove For Enemies is a band that doesn't beat around the bush, They don't avoid touchy subjects, they sing of the brutal truth and honesty that is avoided in every day life. "EC-10" being the sixth track on the album, starts off with a slow sound and almost acts as an instrumental track, with slight murmers in the background. Then at about 1:55 the vocals jump in repeating themselves over and over in a catchy pattern. After the song slowly fades out we jump back into the groove of things with "Rise of the Phoenix" and "Not Without Incident".

   On this album there are very few songs that seem like fillers, but when listening to "Welcome to the Underground" I find myself struggling to get into the music and lyrics as much as i did in the earlier songs. This song's lyrics seem a little more hidden into the music more, so it's hard to pick out the catchy sing along parts. After the end of "Welcome to the Underground" we experience something that most hardcore bands lack; an acoustic song. Although this song also doubles as an instrumental track, it's quite a surprise to find a slow and soothinging track on one of Facedown's most brutal hardcore acts' third chapter. After "Emotion is Chaos" Fades out we are thrown right back into the loop of things to finish out the album. At an overall length of 3:36, "Will of Father" ends the album as the second longest song on the disc. This song does a great job of picking the tempo up after the acoustic song, by slamming right into an upbeat sounding two-step part and then sneaking into the same breakdown that repeats itself at the very end of the album.

   It's hard to say if this album is any better or any worse than Alove For Enemies' past albums, but it's safe to say this band is constant. They never fail to deliver an intense sounding album that speaks of common problems found in society today, faith, unity, and honesty. The album contains a few songs that seem a little like fillers, but it also delivers some really good songs, that make it hard to pick out a single song that rises above the rest. Either way, as a third entry to their struggle in delivering faith and brutal music in a single sound, I would have to say they have succeeded once again.

~ Drew
June 28 2006


Alove For Enemies
Resistance
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