Review: F5 – The Reckoning (2008)

Being a reviewer is much more difficult than one might think. You have to listen to each song critically, and then construct sentences in a coherent way that allows readers to understand exactly what you mean. Sometimes though, you run into an album that inextricably causes a major case of the brain shits in which coherence and interest are pretty much thrown out the window. Often, these cases are not the result of laziness or writer’s block, but instead that of a case of aural numbness, the process in which music enters into your head as a smattering of nonsense that really isn’t hated or loved…it just IS. When I ran into the latest F5 recently, I was quickly ushered into a pit of quicksand that would ultimately lead to a mind numbing experience.

For all the talent that F5 possesses, including a couple former members of Megadeth (such as bassist Dave Ellefson), you’d think that a well produced, well written album would be in your grasp. Alas, the band’s 2008 effort The Reckoning has too many shortcomings that I care to mention. First and foremost, this disk is boring–it contains no memorable tracks, no cool melodies, hooks or breakdowns, and plays more like a soundtrack to some B action movie, instead of an identifiable heavy metal record. In fact, this album is so bland and uninspiring that I’d rather listen to a bad record because it would at least evolk some sort of negative emotional response, as opposed to giving exactly two shits.

Besides being boring, The Reckoning’s production isn’t anything to write home about. The album is much too heavy on the bass leaving the listener with a muddy sound that doesn’t leave much crispness, which in turn bleeds everything together. I don’t know if they did this to emphasize Dave’s parts, but it adds nothing to the final product.

Often, when a band goes all out to offer something that is absolute shite, at least you can give the band it’s due as a shitty band that tried. However, with F5, the ability is there, but each member of the band has failed to capitalize on a good thing, and instead of releasing an album full of memorable classics, we are left with something worse than bad…we are left with indifference.

EH…

Top Tracks: None

Similar Artists: Avenged Sevenfold, Machine Men, Diamond Head(new), Disturbed

1. No Escuse 04:04
2. I Am The Taker 04:31
3. The Reckoning 03:24
4. My End 03:42
5. Love Is Dead 03:51
6. Through Hell 03:05
7. Rank And File 03:08
8. Wake Up 03:38
9. Cause For Concern 03:26
10. Control 04:10
11. Final Hour 04:21
Dale Steele – Vocals
John Davis – Guitar
Steve Conley – Guitar
David Ellefson – Bass
Jimmy DeGrasso – Drums

OarFin
http://www.f5theband.com/
http://myspace.com/f5thebandaz

Written by CODY