Album Review: Former Thieves - The Language That We Speak

Hailing from Iowa, the American Heartland, Former Thieves are drawing plaudits everywhere they turn. Cruising off the back of 2010's well received EP 'The Great, and the Alleged Great', the hardcore quartet were signed to No Sleep Records, joining an eclectic roster already exploding with talent in the form of The Felix Culpa, Into It. Over it. and Touche Amore.

Debut full length 'The Language That We Speak'; which was recorded under the watchful eye of Chris Common (Mastodon, The Sword) is a fighting, growling, Incredible Hulk shirt ripping affair. Not content with simply maintaining the status quo, it's a record that is constantly throwing curve balls, keeping you on your toes throughout 27 minutes of thoughtful brutality.

'Dead Horses are Turned Into Glue' is very much a statment of intent, a smorgasboard of sandpaper vocals, driving riffs and an anything but subtle tone of angst that is prevalent throughout the record. 'Trust Fund Kids' is a fireball that hurtles through at brilliant pace, powered forward by bludgeoning drums, the sentiment of vocalist Matt Schmitz's powerful query "What the fuck is penance without remorse?" left to reverberate around your skull.

'What's Real and What's Not' is excellently crafted, the sort of track that causes heart palpitations with it's furiously pounding rhythm, whilst 'Bad Friends' conforms to the bands abrasive formula for the most part but allows a short moment of respite with a well placed instrumental fade out.

A slight nag would be that the songs sometimes have the tendency to blur, Schmitz's rasp at times sounding one dimensional and repetitive. This aside, for a debut this is a very solid performance, and it's left to the title and possibly most accomplished track to lead us out, with an crashing and epic tone worthy of it's position as finale.

3.5/5

'The Language That We Speak' by Former Thieves is released on April 19th through No Sleep Records.

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Liam McGarry