Emphatic: Another Life
Details
Genre: RockPros:
With hardly a dud in the set, the band sounds confident and roar like seasoned vetsCons:
In their quest to balance the rage-driven set, there's still room for a radio-ready crossover pop/rock songLoud melodies, thunderous passion highlights Emphatic’s latest adventure
Loud melodies, thunderous passion highlights Emphatic’s latest adventure
Tough times have highly documented the story of hard rock band Emphatic. With a slew of personnel changes, bumpy starts and label changes on their resume, the Omaha-based band has been trying to get their feet off of the ground. Now with former Fuel frontman Toryn Green now in their possession, new power players (Jesse Saint, Bill Hudson) and a heftier distribution deal in place, they are looking brasher and stronger than ever. On the eleven-track LP, Another Life, they crank up the volume using Foo Fighter/Fuel passion while exercising a smart blend of heavy metal aggression and below-the-surface pop-rock melodies. On “Life After Anger,” a slithering guitar solo rips through the second half right after Green explodes into a determined rant about seeking clarity from an unshakable lover: “I’m caught in the flames again/I need to find a way out of the danger to a life after anger.” He wraps up the conclusion of the matter on the album closer “Remember Me,” where Green closes the book with a fiery gravitas: “You’re a memory, you don’t exist/Before you drop dead think about this.” Green handles his lead assignments quite impressively, belting like a vocal with matador prowess as if he’s caught in between the balances of Daughtry and Nickelback. Much of the record plays like continuations of that sonic standard. Wailing guitars and Patrick Mussack’s hard drums anchors the rage inside “Time Is Running Out” and “I Don’t Need You” as Green works up the tunes like open-mic therapy sessions.
Not everything aboard Another Life reigns with bleeding volume levels. Fighting for fairness and balance, the album displays rock-coated AC ballads on tracks like “Some Things Never Die” and the anthemic standout “Louder Than Love.” The lack of a crossover rock song is simply mind-boggling to the disc, as something as simple and engaging as a replica of Finger Eleven’s “Paralyzer” would have seriously brightened up the set. Although there’s a lack of ambition due to the growing need to appeal only to rock radio playlists, the album plays exceptionally well. The album title to Emphatic’s latest venture speaks proudly of the new direction they now trod. This is emphatically “another life” for them.
