Memphis May Fire

Memphis May Fire’s debut five-track album is another instalment in metal/hardcore music that also hints at tumbleweeds, flannel shirts and whiskey. These big horned Texas boys are making music that, while there’s no shortage of it, has caught fire of late. Rather than doing an album of pure screaming, vocalists Chase Ryan and Kellen McGregor rely on clean and pristine, only succumbing to harsh growls on occasion. Ryan Bentley and McGregor’s guitar work comes across with angular riffing, metal tweaks and Southern comfort throughout. This album sounds like a continuation of Emanuel’s Soundtrack To A Headrush, which hinders the work done by Memphis May Fire, offering little originality. Overusing the many tricks of the post-hardcore/Southern rock trade can be hard to resist, but this record is the result of a weak will. This album certainly is impressive for what it is but the real hope is that when they produce a longer CD, it will feature more originality and less fashionable technique.