ALBUM REVIEW: Death Is Nothing To Us – Fiddlehead
The post-hardcore collective made up of members of HAVE HEART and BASEMENT known as FIDDLEHEAD have been on one hell of an album run since their debut in 2018. Album one Springtime And Blind was a gut-wrenching outpouring of grief following the passing of frontman Patrick Flynn’s father. Follow-up Between The Richness took a broader look at the trials and tribulations of everyday life, moving past grief and dealing with aging and estrangement from loved ones. Both albums managed to conjure a distinctly melancholy feeling in listeners through driving guitars, thumping drums, and emotive vocals.
And now things come full circle on album three as the five-piece revisit familiar themes – loss, depression, addiction – but this time, something has changed at the heart of FIDDLEHEAD. The emo revivalists have discovered a sense of determination and urgency – dare we even say optimism? This revitalizing energy flows through the album like lifeblood, making for the most essential work the supergroup has produced.
Defiant opener The Deathlife sees the band at their most pure punk, sounding like an angstier TURNSTILE. FLYNN’s furious cries of “do some more!” light a fire under the listener, making way for a screamy ending that revels in aggression beyond anything on their sophomore effort. Sleepyhead’s gorgeous layered vocals make it an obvious choice as a lead single, while Loserman may be a call-back or continuation of Loverman from the previous record. If so, then the protagonist finds himself fallen on hard times, suffering with depression and loneliness. But Flynn doesn’t let darkness consume the track, following up the refrain of “keep lying down” with “all alone, but you’re not alone.”
True Hardcore is anything but, mixing in elements of emo as soaring vocal melodies combine brilliantly with ragged screams to form an exhilarating vocal assault. In contrast, the lyrics are stirringly positive, paying tribute to the scene from which Flynn’s musical career spawned in his HAVE HEART days. Shawn Costa’s drum work shines brilliantly on this track, keeping the rhythm section consistently interesting with unexpected fills. Sullenboy brilliantly weaves through genres, starting with groovy guitars reminiscent of more mainstream rock acts before transitioning into an energetic pop-punk bridge, and finally a roaring post-hardcore crescendo. Guitarists Alex Henery and Alex Dow show their quality on this track, effortlessly shifting styles as bassist Nick Hinsch lays down the grooves.
Things slow down at the halfway mark with Give it Time, a soft and all-too-brief interlude that shows that FIDDLEHEAD can be just as powerful in their quiet moments as in all their blaring noise. The pace remains slower on the downbeat Queen Of Limerick, a grunge-tinged track that sees Flynn’s lyrics once more sinking into depression. Fiddleheads addresses the band’s fans with this self-aware track that ponders the merits of collective suffering. Paired with the previous track The Woes, it makes for an interesting lamentation of the power that sadness holds in the human heart.
Death Is Nothing To Us has its finest moment in the form of closer Going To Die, which despite its title is a declaration of acceptance, as the narrator bids farewell to his dearly departed. “See you on the other side” he declares, and it feels distinctly like moving on, as grief subsides making way for brighter days. The major chords make for a life-affirming, optimistic ending to an album that speaks stark emotional truths through the language of music in a way that only heavy rock can do. This is a truly stunning work from some of the finest songwriters in alternative music.
Rating: 9/10
Death Is Nothing To Us is out now via Run For Cover Records.
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