Review: Jack Price
In the age of instagram filters, lip fillers, chiselled and sculpted bodies, fashion trends and social expectations, it helps to be a little… weird. For some of us, it was in fact just a phase (sorry mum, not for this elder emo), but for the rest of us who procure the profound, celebrate the spooky, and generally terrify grandparents and small children, there is space in the church of The Funeral Portrait.
After crafting away for the last 8 years since their debut album A Moment Of Silence, the Atlanta post hardcore emo rockers have gained a mass of fans, touring with the likes of Escape The Fate, August Burns Red, Ice Nine Kills, and most recently Marilyn Manson and Five Finger Death Punch. Not afraid to face the controversy around “The Kiss” segment of their live shows (if you know, you know), and passionate about standing up for and creating an encouraging environment for both the LGBTQ+ communities, and straight up weirdos alike.
Greetings From Suffocate City sees the five piece extend their brand into a full blown story, filled with colourful characters (referred to as The Icons) whilst tackling issues such as mental health, suicide, rejection and ostracisation. The album opens with Suffocate City, a groovy, catchy track that features ambient effects like rhythmic clapping in the bridge and a distorted guitar intro. Oh, and everyone’s favourite horrorcore performer, Spencer Chanas taking over the second verse and supporting frontman Lee Jennings throughout the end the track, adding his own gruffness to the track in comparison to Lee’s operatic vocals. The guitar riffs are akin to Avenged Sevenfold circa Bat Country, with an almost rockabilly-esk groove through the chorus. A great start to the album with much more to come.
Taking a more upbeat approach with Blood Mother, it really solidifies the blues-esk emo rock The Funeral Portrait seem to embody, with the gospel inspired bridge and chorus. Every aspect of the song is uniquely captivating, from the short bass flourish from bassist Robert Weston, to the ever changing percussion of Homer Weissinger, the rocking guitar work of Cody Weissinger and Caleb Freihaut, even the synth over tones during the bridge before the catchy solo seem to fit perfectly. Ending with some crooning vocals from Jennings, the track wraps up nicely before entering into Doom And Gloom’s heavily distorted intro consisting of Jennings vocals, Western’s bass and racing heartbeat of Homer Weissinger. The track barrels along to a slowed down, crooning chorus. The ebb and flow of the track is unexpected from the start but makes sense as the track closes.
The record features some spectacular guest work, Dark Thoughts breaking the mould with Danny Worsnop blending his soulful, raspy vocals through Jennings’ bold and powerful performance. The lyrical content of the track noticeably a subject Worsnop has experience with, having been relatively open about substance abuse in the pursuit of curing depression and fighting demons. The track is a match no one saw coming to create a very heartfelt ballad.
Following the colab with the Asking Alexandria frontman is another guest for You’re So Ugly When You Cry, The Used’s Bert McCracken. Ranging from a synth backed pop punk vibe to a classic blues rock feel to the emo rock stylings of The Used themselves. There is a lot to process in this song which again, compliments the lyrical composition in a way only the chameleons that are The Funeral Portrait could pull off.
The influences for the album are noticeable but not overdone and without directly copying any particular artist. There are heavy notes in Lee’s vocals of My Chemical Romance, AFI and, most noticeable in Chernobyl, Danny Elfman, Lee confessing his love for the composing legend’s iconic work and his desire to work with him in the future in our recent interview.
Musically, there are some defining moments throughout the album that transport you to a time of pompadour hairstyles, rolled up sleeves on white tucked in t-shirts, and drive in cinema, while other moments are bordering on the more hardcore side of the sub genre. The consistent tone of emo rockabilly through the album adds more depth to the music, from choral backing vocals that feel straight out of a Protestant Sunday service, to the bluesy grooves of a 1950’s high school dance with just the right amount of angst and aggression thrown in to direct towards to messages of the tracks. All this being tied together so artistically seamless, it shows the work the band has put in over the best part of a decade.
Songs of self discovery and rising to feel confident in your own skin are plentiful across the 14 tracks, with songs like Alien and Generation:Psycho. The grief of watching a loved one suffer through substance abuse with no way to prevent their inevitable downfall in Voodoo Doll, which features vocal work from Eva Under Fire, draws on everything the track has had to offer and ripples down for one hell of a track. Easy to understand how it has been the biggest success of the singles released.
True to themselves and their devotion to spreading their uplifting and empowering messages, The Funeral Portrait have brought together a collection of songs that fill a gap that has been long thought to stay empty in the post hardcore and emo music landscape for the last few years. The stories they have created to share are inspiring and provoking, and like any good story, revisiting these tracks is inevitable. Is it a prefect album? Pretty close, but perfect isn’t perfect to me.
