Escape The Fate are back with a brand new album and the excitement is huge! I Am Human is the 6th studio album to be released from the band and takes a more personal feel on their sound. The band had a great start in their careers after winning a competition judged by ultimate Emo band My Chemical Romance and have continued to work hard for their success and put the needs of the band first. Over the years they have evolved their sound from the Emo scene to a sound that is more mainstream rock but have never lost their work ethic. With four singles already released, fans are ready to hear the rest of the album and trust me when I say it doesn’t disappoint.
I Am Human takes on the approach that we are all human and reflects on the band’s own tales of love, life and loss. There are even some fan favourite tracks on the album such as “Let Me Be” and “Four Letter Word” which was co-written by Thirty Seconds From Mars’ Steve Aiello. With the album being produced by heavyweight Howard Benson (My Chemical Romance, Daughtry) the whole sound of the album is tight. There are plenty of screeching guitars and solos throughout as well the allowance to let Craig Mabbit’s vocals shine. Despite the loss of original frontman Ronnie Radke two years into the band’s start up, Mabbit has without a doubt allowed the band to take the steps towards success and growth. This is shown especially on “Bleed For Me” as it takes a less hardcore feel and is certainly more about the lyrics. But the track that is all Mabbit is “If Only” which is an upbeat acoustic track that despite the melody is a track about loss and allows Mabbit to bare his vocals to the world.
But don’t worry there are plenty of more heavier tracks which is perfectly shown on the first track “Beautifully Tragic”. The sound of this track is the essence of Escape The Fate with its high powered guitar solo and heavy drum beats. Another track that is on the heavier side is “Do You Love Me” which is full of screams and has a more aggressive feel to it. The chorus is also something that will take fans all of one listen to before they can belt out the lyrics. Following on is the title track which goes back to that softer sound hears earlier on the album but is still without a doubt a pure anthem. This track may allow many fans to feel closer to the band as the lyrics tell fans that they just like them.
The last few songs on the album are complete hard core heavy rock songs. “Empire” one of the singles already released is the ultimate party track as it essentially walks you through being at a party and getting as the lyrics say “fucked up”. The further into this part of the album the heavier the sound gets which takes Escape The Fate back to what is their trademark sound. A pure heavy track is that of “Recipe For Disaster” which sees the guitars take a heavier sound and takes us on a journey that has a similar sound to that of a Papa Roach track with its fast lyrics in the chorus but make no mistake that this is Escape The Fate through and through. “Riot” takes on a sleezier sound that is without a doubt a fist in the air anthem. The heaviness doesn’t stop their though as “Digging My Own Grave” is easily the grittiest and darkest track on the album. The band goes full screaming metal with growls and the screeching guitars. Throw in the melodic bridge that has a much more sinister feel and you have the absolute opposite of the lighter sounding “If Only”.
The contrast amongst the album shows almost two completely different sides to the band. It showcases the band’s growth as people as the tracks take on a more personal feel and a more grown up feel on some. However it also shows that they are still ready to get down and dirty while having some fun with their music. There is something on the album for everyone to enjoy from acoustics to pure heavy rock tracks and is one of the band’s more diverse albums. Overall it’s a damn good album that will certainly appeal to fans new and old.
