Apoch's Metal Review - Renaissance of Fools: Fear, Hope, and Frustration CD Review

Discography	Discography covers all information available up to day of review and is updated if future albums are reviewed.
Full-Length(s):	Fear, Hope and Frustration

Review

Renaissance of Fools is a recently formed Progressive act that had just signed to Metalville Records as of late. The band's music comes off more as a mixture of crushing, hard hitting Progressive Metal with a more mainstream radio-friendly Rock attitude behind it, allowing the band's material to become more accessible, yet without losing it's edge. Fear, Hope and Frustration marks the group's debut release through their new home, but does this release really have what it takes to pull in a strong following?

Musically, Fear, Hope and Frustration does sound great. The guitars are pretty heavy to begin with, but not to the point where they feel as if they will crush your soul. The bass adds to the much deeper sound by giving the guitars some additional support to make the music feel more full then it would, and a lot richer through some of it's emptier solos and more beautiful sounding chords like with the song, such as with "Previous Life" and "Ordinary Mans Diary." The drumming here keeps the pace well with loud bass kicks that have a slight click to them with matching-in-volume snares that feel thick and cymbols at a proper level for this style, being loud enough to make an impact but not crashing to the point of taking command of the release. The vocals, however, are where the release seem to falter a bit. These can sound loud and vibrant when there's a good amount of energy and a little layering done from the studio, or they can feel a little pushed back in the mix and not quite as strong as they could be. The latter is how much of the vocal work is performed, clearly trying to give off a softer, more somber approach, but end up just he's just trying too hard which ends up giving them the sense of being off key with the music at times, as well as just generally not meshing well with the music being played. During the heavier moments, you can pick up a bit of an Alice in Chains influence to the way they are performed against the heavier music, though not as high pitched clearly, having a bit more of a lower nasally sound to them. These also sound great when there's emphasis made to give them a little extra energetic kick, but not many songs find these vocals used well with the softer ones like you find on "Polarized Round."

One of the notable things about this album is the often uplifting atmosphere being set, and it does work with the soothing vocals at times, with or without the layering. "Precious Life" is a good way to start the album, and actually shows off this bit about the album well. The vocals range from mildly engaging to very well fitting to the music, and the more Progressive elements of the song including the altered sound prior to the guitar solo sound nice against the lighter, more mainstream sounding Progressive Rock material. The track is memorable for the atmospheres being set and the overall catchier nature of the music, and while it may not grab the listener at first due to the issues with the vocals, it does set the tone for what's to come nicely, and if it doesn't catch your ear right away, you'll definitely come back to it after spending a little time with later songs. But while these more uplifting songs are notable, the heavier tracks with catchier music, even more beautiful chords that are played along with that atmosphere set up some of the more memorable tracks thanks to everything just working so well together. "Ordinary Mans Story" uses that heavy atmosphere and couples it with some amazing atmosphere that will simply make you feel good about the song and yourself thanks to their beauty clashing well with the more dismal sound. The vocals to the verses may not be the most impressive but end up working well enough to that aforementioned heaviness, and the chorus really does capture a stronger performance enhanced nice with some layering to give it a stylish, moving Progressive Rock feel.

"Claws of Norms" stands out nicely on this release as well, taking a page from the more uplifting sense of "Precious Life," but in a more Progressive Rock manner. The song itself has a unique beauty to it that is a bit more upbeat then others here, having some strong vocal work throughout the release with a catchy chorus that really ties much of the track together well. The song has some similar structuring and atmospheres to "Leave it all Behind," but not to the point where the song feels like it's being rehashed from that specific track. "Sleep" also makes a strong impact on the listener thanks to it's slower, fluidly-like atmosphere that mixes with a heavier, harder Rock presence that takes on a life all it's own. The vocals during the slower parts can feel a bit too over-the-top, but the emphatic performance during the catchier Hard Rock elements really sound phenomenal and hard to back away from despite some of the moments the vocals come off more like gibberish from the focused softer performance.

Overall, Fear, Hope and Frustration is not the most awe-inspiring album, but it does have plenty of things working in it's favor. The atmospheres vary from dark to uplifting to even beautiful, and the music really fits those atmospheres nicely through having a heavier sound to softer or soothing vibe. The instruments stand out nice for a Progressive Rock album with nothing too overbaring. The only real fault is the vocals, and while clearly pushing for a softer soothing tone, it's clear that the vocalist is trying too hard, and it doesn't help the album out much at all. There's not much else that could be said here really, the album's good but some songs like "Misguided Mind" and "The Child that Used to Play" just don't stand out as well as some of the others mentioned here, and though not filler material, these songs end up being a little less then engaging throughout the album. But, overall it's a decent debut that's worth at least sampling first to see if this suits your Progressive Rock tastes.

Digital review copy of this release provided by:
Metalville Records.

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