album of the week: 9.2

Fang Island

Major

(2012)

why you'll love it: adventure-rock, lots of arena sized guitar riffs.

why you'll hate it: Not much more to it. Not as "epic" as the debut album

Ever walk away from an exploding car in slow motion? Who am I kidding? Nobody really has done that. Ever take a speeding truck off road and - no, that won't do either… OK, how about this -

Ever go jogging and jump over a dog? Have you ever beat the original Super Mario Bros in one sitting? What about set off like 8 fireworks at once, and think "man I need a soundtrack that goes just for this moment!" That is the moment Fang Island tries to live in with every song. Big guitar solos, and crescendos piled on top of crescendos.

With their sophomore release, Major, Fang Island tries to branch out a little bit with a couple slow burners and ballads; but they're fully aware of what they still are, and the "epicness" that their fans demand of them. Because of this light exploration, Major comes off as a nerfed version of their praised self titled debut. If you're new to Fang Island, you would probably receive this album better than old fans have.

The exploration on Major, while admirable, fails in being the next big step for the band. If anything, it distracts from their strengths. I wouldn't consider this album a disappointment though. There are still a fair amount of devil horns to throw up for this LP.