History of
Chasing Victory
We all have fiends living inside ourselves; some
are dormant and hibernating, others are alive and vicious,” states front
man Adam Harrell. It is in this spirit that Camilla, Georgia’s Chasing
Victory has overcome their inner demons to bring forth their sophomore
effort, smashing sonic barriers and destroying scene obstacles.
Originally labeled a screamo outfit with their heralded debut I Call
this Abandonment, Fiends is neither core nor just a futile exercise in
fashion. This is an album that forges its own path, a path of classic
rock influence and rock n’ roll pioneering. Heavy and bombastic without
pretension, it is a dynamic balance of brutality and melody.
“The album is very diverse and each song has something that sets it
apart from the rest. We used a lot of cleaner guitar tracks and let the
bass and drums drive the songs to keep from masking everything with
thick distortion, which has become very popular these days. The vocals
on the record sound completely different also. There is a lot more
singing and I owe it all to Jeff Buckley and our producer Nathan
Dantzler. Nathan really help me capture a vocal sound that I felt
comfortable with and steered me away from screaming as much.”
Relentless, yet tasteful, Fiends is a much-needed diversion from the
glut of heavy music today. It is song-oriented without losing the band's
signature riffs. This is the album that this band needed to make.
Muse-like falsettos meet Stone Temple Pilots-esque chorus lines, and the
occasional gang vocal, and Harrell’s dirt-laden growls. The whole of the
album is speedy, though diverse enough in tempo and guitar approach to
avoid becoming stale. Consider the track “Wolves,” as attitude-infused
as the Wolfmothers of the world and as melodic as the Foo Fighters. The
guitar lines are ambient, and Harrells vocals display great diversity,
with an incessant chorus as the payoff. Another key number is the title
track “Fiends.” More straightforward than any other song on the record,
it is easily in the category of melodic radio rock, akin to the AFIs of
the universe. Fiends is rich in imagery, as Harrell and company
obviously devoted great effort to lyricism and concept. Each one-word
song title is symbolic of a different vice/monster (“Zombies,”
“Barbarians,” etc.). In the case of the title track, Harrell mocks the
concept of stardom: I've been feeling kind of sick to my stomach. It's
just a gimmick, but the kids seem to love it. On “Chemicals” he paints
vivid pictures of battles with lust: As long as you refuse to believe in
the power of cold showers, you'll continue to excuse the receiving end
of cowards. And on “Carnies,” he makes critical commentary on religious
fanaticism: What's the price of admission?...You're building a circus; a
haven to shelter your deepest secrets and your darkest demons. This is a
rare exercise in thought provocation, and destroys most by comparison.
Yet, at the core of the record is a spiritual foundation; the message
is, by exposing one’s vices they are disarmed.
“Most of the characters are battling with some kind of addiction, such
as sex, drugs, alcohol, or even arrogance. We want to confront the
deepest darkness in each of us and expose it for what it truly is: an
enemy which has no power when brought into the light.”
Through constant touring with a host of industry powerhouses (such as
August Burns Red, The Devil Wears Prada, Project 86, Maylene and the
Sons of Disaster, The Showdown, and Chiodos), as well as appearing on
the Vans warped Tour the last two summers, Chasing Victory has become
one of the top selling artists on the Mono vs. Stereo roster. But,
Fiends is in an entirely different category from their previous
material, and should catapult the band into consideration as an industry
elite. This, to match with a live show that has developed into one of
the most captivating around--thanks in no small measure to their
enigmatic and animated front man--and you have the formula for something
special in the months to come.
“We just wanted to make a balls-to-the-wall rock record. I couldn’t be
happier with the outcome. These days in music, it’s so easy to sing the
same two-note chorus, play the same chuggy riffs, throw it into Pro
Tools, and slap it up your Myspace page before Beethoven has time to
roll over in his grave. We approached everything in the exact opposite
way as that last sentence.” |
Listen to Music
Chemicals (RealAudio)
Chemicals (Windows - High)
Chemicals (Windows - Low)
Chemicals (Windows - Med)
Queens (RealAudio)
Queens (Windows - High)
Queens (Windows - Low)
Queens (Windows - Med)
Wolves (RealAudio)
Wolves (Windows - High)
Wolves (Windows - Low)
Wolves (Windows - Med)
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