Funeral For A Friend
Conduit

LA RECENSIONE

Funeral For A Friend has never been among my favorite bands, as they lack something I consider fundamental: choruses. Yes, I know they have them, but I hope you understand what I mean: effective and catchy choruses. Instead, the discography of the otherwise charming Welsh group, apart from a few instances ("Into Oblivion," "Constant Illuminations," "Walk Away") has passed through my ears in a state of almost embarrassing anonymity, given the overblown enthusiasm of the (especially) English critics.

And "Conduit" is no exception, a record that arrives 10 years after the groundbreaking "Casually Dressed & Deep Conversation"; the group today is three-fifths different from the one that emerged in 2003 with the same effect as a tornado, and maybe it's this comings and goings of musicians that has made the sound of Funeral For A Friend quite anonymous to the ears of a non-hardcore emocore fan.

As I said before, this "Conduit" flows by as scripted: a devastating single that will be remembered in the years to come (the stunning "The Distance"), and a handful of songs that seem to be heard already on the band's previous records from Bridgend. The formula has been the same since post "Tales Don't Tell Themselves," namely aggressive melodies and guitar riffs, with singing balanced between melodic and screamed. On paper, everything is splendid, but in practice, the record lacks the effective choruses that a band of this kind would require.

"Conduit" is not a terrible record, but it already feels old upon the first listen.
The fact remains that a song like "The Distance" manages to save the whole thing on its own.

Rating: 6 (out of 10)