Album Review: Renacer by Senses Fail

Forget what you think you know about Senses Fail because Renacer sees the band burying their pop tendencies beneath breakdowns so brutal that even Hatebreed fans will be sated. Recorded with Far guitarist Shaun Lopez, the album sees vocalist Buddy Nielsen screaming like an NYHC veteran as the band mirrors his aggression via the sonic assault of tracks like “Holy Mountain” and “Courage Of The Knife.” That’s not to say Renacer doesn’t have its share of melodic moments such as the intro to “Snake Bite,” but ultimately these well-place segues are but a welcome respite from the pummeling power of the riff. JONAH BAYER .

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If there ever were a band so complicatedly quaint—caught between the boundaries of such trends from which they gained their platform, and the true propensities at the very core of the group, seldom embraced, yet hinted at, time and again—Senses Fail would unequivocally be it. Since emerging in the all-ages/DIY scene at the height of the early aughts’ sing-scream convergence of screamo and metalcore, the band has deliberately embarked on a slow metamorphosis of public perception which, coupled with the sub-genre’s swift disintegration and the band’s businesslike foresight, has allowed the group to maintain a relatively sustainable career within their ranks Renacer, the band’s fifth full-length album—and their first since dissolving a longstanding partnership with the stalwart Vagrant Records—marks yet another step in this cunning, yet cautious evolution of timbre, proclaiming itself as the largest step forward in revealing the honest-to-goodness band behind the banner of Senses Fail. Unfortunately, as these assertions generally go, it’s all posturing, a quick sleight of hand that will undoubtedly leave their fanbase satisfied but ultimately focuses on staying relevant to today’s bent over crafting music worthy of a band whose members include alumni of the staunch Strike Anywhere, Hot Water Music, and Bayonet.

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