'Senses Fail' And Find Life

'Senses Fail' and find life
Matthew Winters


Senses Fail has always been a band that has been constantly evolving. From their first recording, from 2002's "The Depths of Dreams" EP, to now, the recently released "Life Is Not A Waiting Room," the band has gone through a series of changes, each more drastic than the last.

When released, "The Depths of Dreams" was a venomous statement about being a teenager, and dealing with things beyond their control and/or understanding. 2004 saw the release of their proper debut the half-baked "Let It Enfold You," an album that straddled the line between emo-hardcore and gruesome horror rock, but it still elevated the band to a respected touring act.

Then, the greatest leap of their career came in 2006 with their sophomore album "Still Searching." The album was a pitch-perfect picture of a group who has traveled together and become solidified, with the addition of Heath Saraceno formerly of Midtown, all standing behind the emotion of lyrical powerhouse Buddy Nielson.
Now, in 2008, we are confronted once again by the world inside Buddy Nielson's head. The new record, titled "Life is Not a Waiting Room," leaves much of the sing-scream dynamics of their previous efforts and adds a large amount of gang vocals to the mix of songs. Old fans rejoice, the anger and screaming is still there on songs "Lungs like Gallows" and "Wolves at the Door," but they do not have the last word as the best aggressive songs on the album.

Haunting tracks like "Yellow Angels" with its sung gang vocal refrain of "Wake up you're sleeping / Wake up you're sleeping behind the wheel," and centerpiece of the album "Family Tradition" have the last word. The latter track is a basic emotional piece about losing your sanity because of hating a parent, with scathing lines like "I wish I could drain out his half of blood in me / But I'd still have his face," it is hard to ignore. Like the album as a whole, music this honest is hard to ignore.

Originally Published in The WSU Signpost 10/24/08