The Charm The Fury‘s second full-length offers up a whole new sound to what fans of the band will be used to and laces the influences of Pantera and Metallica throughout the record. Whilst the band admit this is fully intentional, the change leaves a sense that the band have not yet found the core sound they really want. This album feels like a band starting from the beginning with all the rough edges that you’d expect from a band who isn’t experienced in playing this sort of music.
Caroline Westendorp’s vocals feel tested at points by changing from their old metalcore sound to a more hard rock/thrash heavy sound and this finds itself evident at some point through every song. ‘Silent War’, as a ballad, throws a curve ball in the mix that doesn’t seem to fit in and ‘Blood And Salt’ seems to echo Lacuna Coil which makes it feel very out of place. As a whole, the album feels at times very mismatched to itself and causes it to really struggle to engage. It seems like the band have gone down an experimental route trying to find their identity yet never fully get there.
That’s not to say it’s all bad here though. ‘Down On The Ropes’ and ‘Echoes’ show what’s possible when the band really try. Both songs demand some proper head banging and throwing your fists in the air. There also isn’t a sense of disappointment when you finish this album and that is definitely a good thing. There is real potential here, and if The Charm The Fury stick to it, their next offering may be something truly special.
