Fear Before

Fear Before the March of Flames began as a mix of screamo and angular hardcore punk in the vein of Botch and early Cave In. Over time, the Colorado band's sound diversified. Melodic vocals, electronics, and acoustic guitars entered the stew, which boiled over in 2006 on the delightfully sprawling The Always Open Mouth. Afterwards, the band changed direction, dropping its corrosive elements, embracing its dark side, and correspondingly shortening its name to Fear Before. Now Fear Before are a modern emo band, with vocals that are competent but not unlike Faith No More's Mike Patton; some inflections also mirror those of Bane's Aaron Bedard. Although the samey songs tend to blend together as Fear Before aim toward the quirky darkness of Faith No More's Angel Dust, the band's technical prowess is high. I'm Fine Today swims in eerie jangles, and Tycho floats on dreamy vocal harmonies. ~ Cosmo Lee, All Music Guide