How good has this year been to me in terms of new music? The answer is SO. GOOD. To add to that goodness, Senses Fail recently released a new album Hell is in Your Head.
Admittedly, it’s been a while since I’ve listened to one of their albums in full, but I had read where this album is supposedly a continuation of the character from their album Still Searching, and more specifically after the events from “The Priest and the Matador.” I will say up front that after listening to the new record, I don’t really think it’s a continuation of that story, but there are certainly some similar themes present. Death and dying are probably the most prominent, but now that lead singer Buddy Nielsen is a dad, it’s also figuring out how to convey those thoughts and inevitabilities with his child. Not something I can totally relate to, but everyone is going to die someday, so certainly relatable in that way.
Perhaps the most “call-back” song on the record was the closing track, “Grow Away From Me,” which sounded a lot like something that could have been spawned from the Still Searching era. It wasn’t an in your face rock song, but instead bowled me over with its quiet epicness. The sound was just swelling from start to finish and it really felt like a big song. I really enjoyed it. Other tracks that made my best of list were “Death by Water,” “What the Thunder Said,” and “Lush Rimbaugh.” The latter is perhaps the most thematically out of place on the record, but I love how it roasted this awful cultural figure. I sure hope the band is right when they say in the song, “there’s a special place in hell for you…I’m sure they’ve got your number.” The other two tracks are just supremely cool! The guitars are so catchy, and “Death by Water” even features Ice Nine Kills vocalist, Spencer Charnas. Similar to Motionless in White, I think this might be the first time I’ve ever come across Senses Fail featuring someone on an album. It’s cool!
While the rest of the record was good, it was also somewhat forgettable. It came across as a pretty generic rock record, and in some cases the production quality didn’t sound that great. But that’s my opinion, and from a technical standpoint, I don’t really know what I’m talking about. It just felt like something was missing to give some of those songs an extra push. Although the song didn’t really stand out too much for me, I did enjoy the accompanying video for the title track, “Hell is in Your Head.” It wasn’t anything fancy, but I love how it looked like a video for an 80s power ballad. Sure, the contents of the song are epic an intense, it’s more about death rather than professing your love. Still, I loved the dichotomy of it a lot.
Overall, this was a pretty solid record for Senses Fail. However, I’ve always been a huge fan of their older stuff, so it’s hard for me to attach to the new work as much. I’d like to give this record a few more listens because the tracks that were good were actually really good and they need to make it onto my regular rotation. If heavy rock is your thing, or if Senses Fail is your thing, then give the new album a shot!