I go way back with Comrades. I stumbled across their 2010-2011 collection on MySpace and I remember buying it off of iTunes not long after. It wasn’t but a year later the band I started to do vocals in a local Alabama band, Meadows. We played a show with Comrades in Birmingham and a beautiful friendship was started. I feel like I’ve watched them grow since the first time I got to see them live. From Safekeeper to Lone/Grey and now to their second Facedown release For We Are Not Yet, We Are Only Becoming. Comrades continues to deliverer their signature sound of chaotic ambient post-hardcore through clean feminine vocals and harsh screams.
For We Are Not kicks things off with the first single for the album that was released, “Fault Lines”. “Fault Lines” opens up slow and pretty with ambient picking and Laura’s incredible voice and quickly brings in the beautiful chaos that Comrades is known for setting the tone for this album. That pace continues going into the next track, “Rest”. “Rest” had those As Cities Burn- Son I Loved you feels to it if that tells you anything of how good this album already is with just these two tracks alone.
Things slow back down with “Smokescreen Season” but quickly picks up. “Smokescreen Season” keeps a good flow of being mainly lead with clean singing but keeping things hard and heavy going toward the end of the song and leading into the next track, “Cliff Dwelling”. “Cliff Dwelling” much like the last track starts off slow with some beautiful ambiance.
Track five happens to be my favorite song of the album, “No Past”. “No Past” comes is a beautifully put together track led by Laura’s wonderful voice. This song gave me those beloved vibes. Heavy ambient jams with John and Laura delivering some amazing duel vocals over it and Joe doing what he does best giving us some beautiful jams, can’t ask for anything better.
The second half of this album kicks off with” Hollow Point”. This tracks starts off with chilling ambient picking and with John’s perfectly placed harsh vocals over it. This song keeps a good mixture of harsh and clean vocals throughout like an A Hope For Home song. Just a good jam this is. “Reflection” is next and it starts if so beautifully and keeps up the pattern of the perfect mixture of slow and pretty turning to chaotic and beautiful. This ends with me starts off with a bang &keeps the momentum going through out the song. Not to mention it gives us a very catchy sing-a-long.
The second to last track “Half-Light” kicks off with a beautiful piano part and Laura being Laura with her amazing voice. This is the only song on the album with no harsh vocals but it didn’t need it. This song was perfectly put together mixing piano with their signature sound. And that tracks brings to the final song, “Nightingale”. “Nightingale” much like “Half-Light” was put together a little differently than the rest of the album. It’s just a gorgeous mix of jammy riffs and beautiful harmonizing. It was put together so well and ended this album so perfectly.
This was a very strong release from the Colorado based Post Hardcore band. It kept up the sound that they have made their own and have solidified their selves as one of the best bands going today. Joe, Laura, and John totally outside themselves on this one and I can’t wait to see what comes next for them. I highly recommend this to anyone!
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For fans of As Cities Burn, A Hope For Home, Trenches, and Beloved.
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Credits: Comrades & For We are Not Yet, We are Only Becoming are property of Facedown Records. We do not own nor claim any rights.