The Funeral Portrait – Greetings From Suffocate City
The Funeral Portrait – Greetings From Suffocate City
Better Noise Music
Release Date: 13/09/2024
Running Time: 46:43
Review by Beth Morait
8/10
I’m a lady of eclectic tastes. My playlists range from pummelling Metal to Pop. From Chugging riffs to Tchaikovsky. From Melodic Modern Metal to Mozart. And of course, everything in between. But I’ve largely only listened to Emo Rock by associasion, because my two eldest daughters were rather partial to it when they were going through “that phase” in high school. That said, it’s a genre that I actually quite like for its melodies. So, I thought I’d dive right in and review the newest offering from Emo Rockers, The Funeral Portrait.
Opening with ‘Suffocate City,’ it’s easy to see where this band has drawn influence from. I can hear early Fallout Boy, Asking Alexandria, and My Chemical Romance coming through strongly. This is the case throughout the album, giving it a very familiar feel. Anthemic melody hooks, reverb on the drums, slightly distorted verse vocals, and soaring harmonies in the choruses.
The band do make use of a lot of instrumentation, including choir sections in ‘Holy Water’ which certainly give it depth. And the instrumental elements of the album are super tight, really well thought out, and well recorded. But the star of the show is definitely Lee Jennings’ vocals. He has a versatile tone, and good range. Some of the higher vocals remind me of Panic! At The Disco’s Brendan Urie. And there’s a lot of emotion in his voice (kinda goes without saying, given the genre, but he captivates it well).
The album also features guest appearances from Ice Nine Kills’ Spencer Charnas; The Used vocalist, Bert McCracken; and Eva Under Fire. These guest performances fit really well on the album.
But part of me feels there could be more exploration in the music. It’s a safe album, full of formula tracks. There’s nothing wrong in that, I just like to be challenged every now and again by the unexpected in any musical genre.
‘Dopamine’ is the highlight of the album for me. It’s a well-rounded Rock track that shows off the individual talents and styles of each musician. ‘Happier Than You’ also has a great Bass riff that makes you do the curled over bottom lip face of appreciation for dirty licks!
So, in short, if you want something groundbreaking, you’re probably better moving on to a different album. But if you enjoy good solid Emo, with great vocal lines, then this album will please you.
The gatekeepers may argue that this isn’t proper Rock or Metal. But it absolutely is in my book. It definitely has a place in the scene, and can appeal to, and inspire, a huge range of people, from young to old.
And to give these guys extra kudos, they do a shit ton of work with youth and teen charities supporting mental health, using their music as a way of connecting and bridging the void of loneliness and isolation. Jennings says about the album “[Suffocate City] It’s a place where everybody can belong, no matter who you are. We grew up ‘weird’ kids saved by alternative music and culture and are eager to pay that gift forward.”
And this is what makes me enjoy their music a lot more. Good work guys.
‘Doom And Gloom’ Official Video
TRACKLISTING:
01. Suffocate City ft. Spencer Charnas
02. Blood Mother
03. Doom And Gloom
04. Holy Water
05. Dark Thoughts ft. Danny Worsnop
06. You’re So Ugly When You Cry (feat. Bert McCracken)
07. Chernobyl
08. Dopamine
09. Voodoo Doll ft. Eva Under Fire
10. Happier Than You
11. Alien
12. Generation Psycho
13. Stay Weird
14. Hearse For Two
LINE-UP:
Lee Jennings – Vocals
Robert Weston – Bass
Cody Weissinger – Guitar
Caleb Freihaut – Guitar
Homer Umbanhower – Drums
LINKS:
Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Beth Moriat and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
