Modern Life Is War
Fever Hunting

Let's clear one thing right away: with them, I reason with my heart, and rationality can go get blessed very quickly and without too much hesitation. Modern Life Is War return after six years of hiatus and announce not only a reunion show with the original lineup at the This Is Hardcore Fest in Philadelphia but also new, unreleased material in the form of “Fever Hunting”?! Tremors, chills, and accelerated heartbeats. Soon to appear in manuals on “how to give yourself acute tachycardia in five minutes”. Needless to say, on the calendar with an indelible red marker, I had quite evidently circled the date of September 9th, the official release day of the new work from the five guys from Marshalltown, Iowa. Following the spring statement in the subsequent months, only the artwork [created by Jacob Bannon], the tracklist composed of 11 tracks for just under half an hour, and the reference of God City Studios in Salem with Ballou in the director's chair appear.

The summer is tough to get through, especially without any preview. Then the improbable happens, pure chance. Walking through Common Park, you’re noticed by a guy because of your Converge t-shirt; he points to his Deathwish sticker inevitably stuck on the current MacBook and starts talking to you, out of nowhere. Random talking leads to the news: “oh, dunno if you know, but today the pre-orders for Fever Hunting by MLIW came out, I'd recommend them”, followed by my banal “are you kiddin’ me? I love them” and the day has taken a complete turn. I would have gladly pulled out an Andrew Jackson from my wallet as a reward, but I hold back my enthusiasm just enough. Just waiting for sunset, to get home, go on the Deathwish store, choose the vinyl color, type the credit card details for the millionth time, wait for a successful transaction, and ka-boom: the 320k link for immediate download appears, like a bolt from the blue. Well, guys, what can I say, it’s been beautiful, in a couple of spins of the clock hands I will exist only for Jeffrey & Co. Au revoir.

“Old Fears, New Frontiers”: that's how Eaton roars martial-like, as if it's an indisputable verdict, four words repeated incessantly for 1:15, with the rest of the band engaging in a pounding cadence. It’s an intro that immediately brings you back to the early 2000s, letting you know that nothing's changed, Modern Life Is War have truly returned and they have no desire to play the part of sidekicks, of followers. They don't even intend to make the typical reunion album created for the satisfaction of fans scattered worldwide. Their musical vision has been unique since the times of “My Love. My Way.”, the masterpiece “Witness” projected them into the gothic of modern hardcore punk and “Midnight In America” had started an evolution towards a more thoughtful and controlled sound. “Fever Hunting” is the missing link caused by the 2007 split, and it's through this that MLIW pick up the threads and resume weaving their caustic and emotionally desperate webs to create a work with an old-school flavor. No, we're not talking about sounds like Black Flag or DRI, but the feeling throughout the pattern is this, all supported by a production that doesn’t aim to magnify the work done but simply to deliver the incendiary energy that the five Midwest boys can offer with disarming ease. Hence, “Fever Hunting” is a sincere, direct album that hits like a punch to the incisors (note inspired by a stroke of genius staring from La Crisi's cover art) leaving you in pain.

Years have passed, and Modern Life Is War has matured, without a shadow of a doubt. The guitar work of the duo Matt Hoffman (welcome back) and John Paul Eich spans multiple shores, creating melodic interlocks, arpeggios with that explosively melancholic touch that has always characterized the group's compositions. But when it’s time to hit hard, the riffs transform and become tight and venomous, revealing the band's dual nature. However, what stands out within the 32 minutes is the musical offering’s versatility. The sound's DNA contains an intimate and cadenced matrix that alternates on the stage with distinctly hardcore punk episodes, not forgetting its melodic component. In between, there's even room to relax (so to speak) with a track flavored with rotten punk rock. A melting pot of elements set in a framework of rhythmic crescendos, broad stroke breaks, and sharp variations plunging us into a whirlwind of emotional assaults, thanks also to the work of Tyler Oleson (drums) and Chris Honeck (bass) creating a climate first oppressive and then cathartic. The atmospheres are thus dark, unhealthy, and it’s immediately clear that the world screamed in despair in “Witness” hasn't disappeared, but it's just aged and found again in “Fever Hunting”. The cherry on top is a Jeffrey Eaton delivering a masterful performance, both lyrically and vocally, where he seems still like the twenty-something of the early days: vitriolicly raspy and spoken word as if there’s no tomorrow. A lone wolf guiding faithful companions and seeking the pack’s help in escalations sometimes culminating in chaos that aptly frames the thought behind the lyrics of each track.

The primitive spear tip on the cover is polished to make it sharp and killer, but intelligently our guys have refined themselves, not exclusively favoring a frontal assault, thus avoiding a trivializing choice. In this way, they have surgically constructed the perfect comeback, leaving only a few small blemishes along the path, but after six years of inactivity, they can be easily forgiven. Meanwhile, observing John Harvard's statue, I realize I’m on my third consecutive listen when Jeffrey exclaims “the fever hunt rages on inside my head”, but I have no intention of stopping. Modern Life Is War are reborn and are insatiable shrapnels. And, um, I’m almost tempted to head down to New Bedford to see if any of the Have Heart guys are around, you never know if another smart reunion might happen these days.