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I'm stumped and a bit shocked. Blood For Blood has really improved since their earlier full-length releases. I admit to liking some of the band's older material in a musical sense, but I was always put off by their negativity and blatant bitterness (i.e. "fuck the world" attitude) towards just about everything. On "Serenity," Blood For Blood throws a curveball. This is some surprising stuff, and I'm loving it.
I knew something had changed when the gang shout of "we care!" in the first few seconds of "Hanging On The Corner" kicked the album into gear. This band cares? It didn't seem like it before. The song is like reading a three-minute story of life's difficulties with a deliciously infectious musical backdrop in place of pictures. "Hanging On The Corner" is chilling, especially when Rob Lind basically addresses the different types of people from his hometown with shouts of "we care!" before each one. Never before have I noted such a glimmer of positivity from Blood For Blood, but here it is. It's truly excellent and, when surrounded by personal tales of honest experiences, comes across as entirely sincere.
This honesty carries through all of "Serenity," with most songs telling some sort of story and creating imagery that is rarely so vibrant. From the descriptive explanation of people and places in Charlestown on "Hanging On The Corner" to the difficulties of street life on "City Boy," Blood For Blood makes their feelings obvious. This stuff is from the heart and based on real, life-altering experiences.
While Blood For Blood has often injected their gruff, metallic hardcore sound with some gritty punk rock and metal influences, "Serenity" sees the band branching further into the genres while retaining their underlying brute force. "A Rock N' Roll Story" has its moments of sounding similar to Rancid, complete with simple, catchy power chords and some mildly raspy but clean singing. And, speaking of singing, Rob Lind contributes his clean vocals more than ever, making the band's new material catchier than hell. I haven't ever hummed hardcore songs this much. To be honest, pop/punk is a part of "Serenity," but not in a derogatory way. There are good pop/punk bands out there and Blood For Blood hasn't drifted anywhere near being cheesy.
A solid balance between all out bruisers, like "My Jesus Mercy" and "Live The Lie" and upbeat, catchy numbers like "A Rock N' Roll Song" and a superb cover of "Runaway," is struck on "Serenity." This will likely alienate some longtime fans of Blood For Blood, but I'm enjoying every minute, as this is at one moment relentlessly biting and really catchy at others.
I had no idea "Serenity" would be this good. At just under 17 minutes, I hope Blood For Blood delivers a full-length of this caliber in the near future. Fortunately, this album is enhanced, so putting the disc in your computer allows you to view around 20 minutes of video. The in-studio interview footage is interesting, providing some insight into the band's motives for the album. Whether you liked Blood For Blood in the past or not, I urge fans of burly hardcore and punk rock to listen to "Serenity." While short, the music is so satisfying on so many levels that I, previously not much of a fan, seemingly can't satisfy my constant craving for it.
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