A Farewell Fire – “Villain”
Long Island’s own hard-rock band, A Farewell Fire, is back with their brand new album, “Villain”! This four piece band consists of Billy (vocals/lyrics), Eddie (guitar/vocals), Stefen (bass/vocals) and Marty (drums/vocals). “Villain” is the first album the band has released in over ten years and it couldn’t have come at a better time. A Farewell Fire has no fear tackling the current societal issues our world is facing and going against the norm. The message this album sends is loud and clear!
“Villain” kicks off with a bang with the intro track, “Inertia”. This is such a great opening track to introduce the theme of this album. The band does well to let the listener know exactly what is in store for them. The heavy guitar chords and quick drumming let you know to be ready for action throughout the album! Throughout “Villain”, A Farewell Fire takes on issues that most bands would stay away from. I think starting off with “Inertia” was the perfect way to ease the listener into the topics of the songs. Inertia in its literal sense, is a tendency to do nothing or remain unchanged. In the eyes of many, this is exactly what is happening in the world today. So many people are being persuaded to side one way or another, to sit by idly and do nothing despite not agreeing with what is happening. A Farewell Fire sums this up into words perfectly. “Pull the strings and the puppets move, they sway to the cries of the horrified, who knew, what it would come too, what we’d give up along the way.” This line speaks volumes to how so many people are living today!
A Farewell Fire continues the album with the album-title track, “Villain”, followed by “Lie”. “Villain” is one of my favorite songs from the album. The intensity of the instrumentals and vocals keep the listener completely engaged from start to finish. What I love about this song is despite what AFF may have used for inspiration for this track, everyone can relate to the message. We all have a “villain” of sorts in our lives, whether it’s an actual person, a vice, etc. Something that nags at us, that tries to sway us one way or another. The band does exceptionally well of capturing that feeling and putting it into words. “We are the stranger who’s calling, we come here to rain on your parade. With a conscience dissolving and prescription for the pain, we won’t feel a thing.” This is such an important line that you must listen to and read more than once. No matter what your “villain” is, it won’t stop. It’s up to you to stand up to that villain! “Lie”, the first single released from the album, follows next. While this song is a banger, we wrote about it a few months back! CLICK HERE to read the review of “Lie”!
A Farewell Fire knows how to keep the intensity of an album at 100 and they prove it with the following track, “On a Roll”. The second the instrumentals kick in, you can’t help but want to kick your legs and swing your arms all over. Seriously, it must be wild at one of their shows! What stood out to me the most was the guitar on this track. Around the 2:40 mark, the guitar SHINES through and has one of the best guitar solos I’ve heard on a new album in a while. You just don’t hear good guitar solos in today’s music, and that is a sin! A Farewell Fire knows how to keep tradition and fucking kill it! The album rolls on with “Fun with a Gun”, one of the most obvious song topics of the album. While most bands and artists may avoid this topic, I’m so glad AFF decided to write about it. This is such a divisive topic in today’s world and it is insane. The opening line speaks volumes to the way of the world today. “You build it up and we’re gonna tear it down. Cold dose of freedom coming, everybody hit the ground.” That line is HUGE. Since when did the “freedom” that we boast become having to worry about being shot?
We’re about halfway through the album now and A Farewell Fire shows no signs of slowing down! “System Overload” is the next song up, and one of the most action packed on the album. I am a big fan of the fast heavy opening that keeps pace throughout the entire track. This song is one of those songs that you feel your foot tapping and body moving right away and you just can’t stop! This is a song that you never want to end; the last five seconds leave you enticed for another forty! “These Empty Words” is the next track on the album and is placed perfectly. The song slows the pace and vocals down just enough while keeping pace with the intensity you expect from A Farewell Fire track. Throughout this track, you can feel the raw emotions that influenced the song. “Looks like you’ve given into the pain, looks like you’re right where you’re gonna stay, looks like it’s all become part of you now. I know it’s not that easy to say, I know you feel it walking away, you can change if you let go but you won’t.”
“Villain” chugs along with “All Else Fails” featuring Carrie Wicks. This song is one of the most unique on the album simply because of the featured vocals. Carrie Wicks beautiful voice compliments the dark, gritty vocals from the band excellently. There is no doubt in my mind that “All Else Fails” is going to quickly become a fan favorite and a most requested song at any A Farewell Fire show! “Dim the Light” is the next track on the album, one that puts the breaks on the intensity just a bit. What stood out to me on this track is how the instrumentals and vocals become one during the chorus. I don’t know if it’s just me, but they blend together perfectly! Despite the slow down on this song, it just has that certain pop that makes you dance and sing. Seriously, you can’t help but rock along.
We are on the final few tracks of the album and if you aren’t sold on A Farewell Fire yet, you will be soon! “With Me” starts off the final few tracks, a fun song that incorporates elements we haven’t heard previously on the album. The band utilizes this simple, elegant strum of the guitar to lead into the chorus that gives me such a Pop-Punk/Alt Rock vibe. It’s amazing how that one tiny aspect of a song can completely change the way you look at it. It’s one of those unexpected spots on a song that makes you go, “oh!” (in a good way of course!). Up next is “At Home in the Shadows”, the perfect song to segue into the heaviness of the final few tracks. The hardcore, screaming vocals on this track add so much to the track. You can feel the band’s heart and soul being poured out on this one!
A Farewell Fire finishes “Villain” with “This Beautiful Release” and “We”. I don’t think the band could have ended the album any better than this. These songs are arguably the two heaviest tracks on the album. If you’ve been following the blog these past few years, you know I’m a god damn sucker for hardcore music and breakdowns, so these two songs pulled at my heart right away. A Farewell Fire throws in a NASTY breakdown towards the end of “This Beautiful Release” that will have everyone in the crowd going insane. The album ends with “We”, another favorite song of mine. The hardcore/metalcore influence heard on this song is amazing. Any song that makes me want to kick and punch and go crazy is a favorite of mine, and this is no exception. That breakdown at the end will have mosh pits going absolutely insane during their performance!
Not having released an album in over ten years can be overwhelming for a band, but A Farewell Fire were up for the challenge and released a powerhouse album! This is one of the albums that you will listen to from start to finish without putting it down. Make sure you follow A Farewell Fire on all social media platforms and check out songs from “Villain” HERE on our Spotify playlist!