Filter

The Sun Comes Out Tonight

Written by: PP on 18/10/2013 19:57:04

Filter is a band I've learned to treat with feelings of ambivalency over the years. They're just as capable of writing genre-defining classics ("Anthems For The Damned", "Title Of Record") as they are descending into mediocrity ("The Trouble With Angels" three years ago). Yet they can fairly be considered an institution within alternative rock, bearing many characteristics of the golden 90s days of alternative rock when almost all of today's mammoth names released their best output. Yet they've always been relatively unique in their blend of hard-hitting alternative rock and industrial metal, which has manifested itself in several different constellations throughout their career.

If "The Trouble With Angels" was a misstep towards a nu-metal-esque sound that felt completely irrelevant when it came out, then "The Sun Comes Out Tonight" is a triumphant return to form, one where the band delivers some of the same far-reaching, monumental soundscapes as they did on "Anthems For The Damned" five years ago. The riffs are designated to fill out arenas and huge outdoor stadiums in themselves, and then you have an iconic frontman to boot on top in the form of Richard Patrick. If there ever was an equivalent expression for 'dat ass' to 'those pipes', then its usage would be relevant here. Whether it's "We Hate It When You Get What You Want", "This Finger's For You" or "Watch The Sun Come Out", Patrick's prolonged, scratchy croons are almost impossible to imagine in a studio environment, because how can anyone shout from the top of their lungs like that without thousands upon thousands of people and open air in front of you? At the same time, he feels perfectly natural during the lighter tracks such as "Surprise" and "First You Break It", which are both fairly reminiscent of the "Title Of Record" years.

Perhaps that is why you can call "The Sun Comes Out Tonight" as a middle-of-the-road record for Filter. It features both the hard-hitting, almost metallic side of the band, as well as the softer tracks which lean towards pop rock and chill out more rather than mosh pits and stadium-sized songs. Both styles work equally well, and so while this isn't a groundbreaking album by any means, it offers solid 90s style alternative rock in a convincing manner that few other bands are able to in 2013.

8

Download: We Hate It When You Get What You Want, Watch The Sun Come Out Tonight, This Finger's For You, Self-Inflicted, First You Break it
For the fans of: Taproot, Foo Fighters, Bush, Sevendust, old Linkin Park
Listen: Facebook

Release date 04.06.2013
Wind-Up Records

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