For Selena And Sin

Primrose Path

Written by: TL on 29/12/2009 14:59:07

Ok, so it's official, I flat out suck at deriving what bands sound like from their names and artwork. Take For Selena And Sin, a Finnish six piece whose sophomore "Primrose Path" was recently unleashed upon the general population. Judging from the name and artwork, I was expecting some run of the mill deathcore, or at the very least another melodeath outfit. I was foiled again though, because FSAS are none of those, rather they are yet another one of those goth/metal bands fronted by a raven haired singer.

Hold your horses though, don't go straight ahead and assume that this is another Nightwish/Within Temptation clone, because while such a comparison isn't completely unjustified, listening to "Primrose Path" quickly reveals that FSAS does not actually pack enough metallic technicalities for it to be completely accurate. Instead, their songs are mostly straight forward power-chord rockers, with verse/chorus structures, solos for bridges, and an only ever so slight gothic tint to the production. So in fact, this is more like HIM, except with a female singer, than another Nightwish wannabe.

Such a realization of course quickly spells out the fate of this band in the ears of various types of listeners. Knowing that both metal, goth and even death bands are common radio fare in Finland, I would not be surprised to find a FSAS track hugging the charts, and the more I listen to it, I find it safe enough to maybe even make an appearance in the Danish mainstream, where Celina Ree has so effectively marketed herself lately. This means, that if you're one to normally enjoy the kind of hard rock and metal, that the general public does not run away from screaming, then this record could probably also prove to be quite enjoyable to you. Think of Volbeat, HIM, Creed, Linkin Park, Evanescence and all that stuff that is basically rock, but has lost its capability of scaring the pop-conditioned majority. If you like that, you can like this. Me, I find it about as interesting as watching paint dry, and I suspect that many of the readers who spam F5 on our front page, desperately drooling for their next fix of something pseudo-revolutionary, will feel the same way.

Mid-tempo, simplistic, formulaic, single vocal, radio rock simply isn't that good of a starting combination, no matter how much you soak it in melancholic keyboards. For it to have any impact, it simply needs more. It needs guitar riffs that sound fresh or attitude-filled. It needs vocals that are not merely proficient, they need to also be charismatic. It needs choruses that grab even the skeptics by their balls and force them to sing along against their will. As far as I can hear "Primrose Path" has none of those things. It's solid enough to avoid annoying the shit out of you, but it's the kind of solid that comes from being the worst kind of predictable. In all honesty, this sounds like a second rate Evanescence, and that is not nearly enough to earn much of a recommendation from me.

5

Download: Countdown To The Stars, Rusty Rails Of Yesterday, Broken Mirror
For The Fans Of: Evanescence, HIM, Within Temptation, Celina Ree,
Listen: myspace.com/forselenaandsin

Release Date 26.10.2009
Mascot / Target

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