This Burning Age - A Muzzle for the Masses

Title: A Muzzle for the Masses
Artist: This Burning Age
Genre: Alternative / Electronic / Rock
Release Date: 28th August 2009
Label: 5th Day Records



Album Review

THIS BURNING AGE was founded as solo project in summer 2007 by creative head Friday after deciding to start something new with own material, rather than getting involved in another collaborative project. In winter 2007, he set about recording10 tracks for an album we know now as ‘A Muzzle for the Masses’ that would still undergo changes until being released on CD eventually. The album was close to being completed recording, when the wish came up to turn THIS BURNING AGE into more than a mere solo ride and to present the material live. By the end of 2008, following meticulous auditioning and several changes, the final line-up was set and THIS BURNING AGE had grown to a group of experienced musicians turning it into a creative force. The mentioned debut ‘A Muzzle for the Masses’ has been finally made available at the end of August 2009.

It’s the way these kind of maimed electronic signals break against clear-cut drum cascades and eventually, a wide key texture that has one think of a mind in agony, fighting against its own decay. All is steering upwards to a rocking outcry, maybe a last rebel that in the end seems pointless. All this musical imagery is thoughtfully illustrated with lyrics ranging in tone from brittle over encouraging up to pugnacious on the album opener ‘Human Condition’. ‘Repeat to Fade’ starts by weaving a web of a seemingly Americana-inspired style of guitar plucking around an emerging cluster of rockier tones and pounding drumming. Going into the track a few seconds more reveals a thunderstorm of blistering drums and cutting riffs, while Friday’s voice sometimes seems to be close to breaking over the lyrical content he’s delivering.

As driving and energizing as the beginnings of ‘End Game’ might be, as hopeless and deeply plaintive the track becomes later on. It’s spiralling downwards into a void, stripping down to acoustic strokes already bearing the tears you feel you soon will have to cry, allusions to a sun about to set in forlorn melodies and a breath of electronic drums. They’re all going to build up again to a strengthened arrangement to accompany the affecting tale told by Friday in a timbre, no barriers can hold up against. The character study of a scarred soul expects the listener on ‘Stronger, Faster, Fitter’. But where others scrape the surface at best, things being described here are painfully detailed and you can’t do any evasive manoeuvre and you can’t stop those pictures stop popping up in your mind anymore once the song’s started. It’s one of these songs leaving indelible marks in emotional souls. “A storm is looming overhead”

The realization that everything’s fleeting is permeating part of the lyrics of ‘Everlasting’ and kind of contradicts its title, but it’s not utter hopelessness driving this song. Just because something’s ending doesn’t mean it couldn’t last. Maybe not forever but for a lifetime, which is what you may read out of other lines! ‘Everlasting’ only makes scarce use of electronics relying instead on a more traditional rock orchestration, accentuating the variety and dynamics in the compositions once more. A whole lot of passion, work, thoughts and emotions have been put into ‘A Muzzle for the Masses’. It’s audible in every note that’s being played and word that’s being sung. The record’s going to send you on a rollercoaster ride through various emotional states and by all means should be checked out by any fan of ambitious, electronic/rock music. I think this band’s got a bright future ahead of them.


Tracklist

01. Human Condition - 4:26
02. No Surrender - 3:36
03. Repeat To Fade - 3:16
04. End Game - 4:42
05. The Last Day - 5:17
06. Stronger, Faster, Fitter - 6:01
07. Panic (Bring on the Bomb) - 3:52
10. Honey - 6:49


Line-up

Friday - Vocals, Guitar, Samples
Anth - Guitar, Keys, Backing Vocals, Samples
Russ Harris - Bass Guitar
Jack “Penko” Josypenko - Drums, Percussion


Website

http://www.thisburningage.com/ / http://www.myspace.com/thisburningage


Cover Picture




Rating

Music: 9
Sound: 9
Extras: -
Total: 9 / 10


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