Fear Before the March of Flames began as a mix of screamo and angular hardcore punk in the vein of
Botch and early
Cave In. Over time, the Colorado band's sound diversified. Melodic vocals, electronics, and acoustic guitars entered the stew, which boiled over in 2006 on the delightfully sprawling
The Always Open Mouth. Afterwards, the band changed direction, dropping its corrosive elements, embracing its dark side, and correspondingly shortening its name to
Fear Before. Now
Fear Before are a modern emo band, with vocals that are competent but not unlike
Faith No More's
Mike Patton; some inflections also mirror those of
Bane's Aaron Bedard. Although the samey songs tend to blend together as
Fear Before aim toward the quirky darkness of
Faith No More's
Angel Dust, the band's technical prowess is high. "I'm Fine Today" swims in eerie jangles, and "Tycho" floats on dreamy vocal harmonies. ~ Cosmo Lee