For its third full-length, Winnipeg hardcore unit
Figure Four jumps to Solid State, the heavy music imprint of Seattle power indie Tooth & Nail. The awesomely named
Suffering the Loss is a punishing 12-song affair that finds its singular gear within the first two seconds, and duct tapes the shifter to its gear box. Leadoff track "State of Mind" hurdles between double-time rhythms and a wall of messy, sludgy guitar mayhem (laid down by Jeremy and new guitarist Meal Mel) while vocalist Andrew tears the cover off the mike with a roar that would seem like a put-on if he wasn't so lyrically and emotionally convincing. And that's only one song.
Figure Four never uncurls its fists from your lapels, through the lighting strike of "The Loss" ("I'd give my everything just to taste the world"), to single "Kill and Deceive"'s screeching leads and muscular chord changes ("Don't you fall to the Lies/He'll steal everything you love"), all the way to the grinding, urgent "Poison in Me" ("I think I'm lost/I remember a time when I could see, with you in my sight"). The album's tempos do change from blindingly fast to trudging muck behind a turn of self-flagellating phrase from Andrew, which certainly keeps things interesting. But
Suffering the Loss might be the best
Figure Four album yet simply because of its unflinching intensity. The band understands that hardcore isn't about lightening the mood or experimenting with jammy instrumental interludes.
Suffering the Loss' steadfastly monochromatic hardcore palette is as first-person as Andrew's lyrical musings -- dragging you face-first into
Figure Four's world, where faith is a guiding yet painful force and intensity flies like beads of sweat from the stage. ~ Johnny Loftus