October 28
Better Noise Music
Words by Erin Eddy
Humanity is feeling fatigue. Are we nearing rock bottom as a species? If you sit back and really deliberate on the past few years of human existence, you’ll likely reach the same comprehension as I did; “Wow, we’ve been through some SHIT.”
Unprecedented Times has become the trademark of our current world. We’ve endured a global pandemic. Climate disruptions have been felt across the world, with fires, floods and earthquakes. People have protested injustice in record numbers. We all watched as riots erupted at the White House. Conflicts rage and the actions of global powers are putting us all on edge. The Taliban returned to power, New Delhi protests ended in deaths, we saw Turkish military involvement in Syria, civil war erupted in Ethiopia, there’s the Persian Gulf Crisis and of course Russia declaring war on Ukraine. Nuclear threats are forever looming. There’s a global democratic erosion, the cost of living is leaving people homeless, and the word ‘recession’ is something I never thought I’d have to be concerned about in my lifetime.
Surely the human race is beginning to feel the effects of collective trauma as a result of this rollercoaster ride.
It really feels like this world is in need of something like a Soul Revolution right now. Fire From The Gods vocalist, AJ Channer, has described the change he has witnessed and felt in their audiences during the band’s last two tours. He can sense an overall need for change, and he believes “revolution begins in the soul.”
Musically, I would argue that Fire From The Gods aren’t bringing anything particularly new or innovative to the table with their latest release, Soul Revolution. This band has well established themselves in the rap metal genre, and they execute their craft with fine precision; Soul Revolution is more of the same, albeit perhaps a little softer, with more of a pop-rock feel than previous releases.
But it is the intention behind this record that really resonates with me. AJ Channer has a vocal style that is hard to listen to passively, he really commands your attention. He switches between aggressive delivery to soulful, soaring choruses. With such remarkable vocals, it’s virtually impossible to ignore the lyrics.
There’s a certain level of aggression in the opening track, Soul Revolution, as Channer sets the tone for the record, spitting with venom “Fuck the New World Order, fuck fighting for oil and water, all power to the people, we are law and order, fuck your bottom line, it don’t mean shit to me, ‘cause your house is built on bloodlines and hypocrisy.”
If you don’t like your music to be political, turn away now.
From there, the aggressiveness wanes somewhat, and the remaining songs on the album take a more soulful mood with the feeling of the music and the lyrical content dancing between hopelessness and hopefulness, really capturing the sense of disorientation that people are currently feeling.
The second track, SOS, opens with the words “I’m screaming SOS, it’s an emergency, the sky is falling down around me, there’s no escape, no security, screaming SOS it’s an emergency” really outlining the anguish being felt across the globe right now. It’s fairly apparent what Channer was picking up from his audiences and that he has decided to give a voice to those fans, and really people in general, through this record.
The entire album is not all politically driven. Songs like Love Is Dangerous and Be Free sound a little more introspective. I rank Be Free as one of my favourite tracks on the record, I think mostly because I love being reminded to “let go and just breathe.”
But there’s no denying there’s a definite call to action across the overall theme of this album. AJ Channer has channeled the energy his fans have been emanating, their despair and their desire for a shift. Music can’t necessarily bring about major change, but isn’t it true that it’s almost always the powerful thread that binds and unites us in times of great need? When humans are moved into times of revolution, music is always there lacing things together.
Humanity may be fatigued right now, but artists like Fire From The Gods, voiced by people like Channer, are reminding us to “Change your heart, change your mind, change your soul. This is a revolution.”
While many may be quick to write this album off due to the music being formulaic and potentially not heavy enough, I would encourage the listener to delve a little deeper. It’s when you allow the words to strike a chord with you that you can appreciate this record for more than just its technical qualities. Not all music needs to break new ground, sometimes the messages are more important than innovation.
