Review by Paul Monkhouse for MPM
For The Forsaken have always stood for something, the Cambridge quartet bringing their crushing sound to the masses but at its core there lies a beating and defiant heart that carries the true weight of all they do.
Whilst the scene is rammed full of great bands, few have the emotional power of this outfit, their reality going well beyond the good time, rock ‘n’ roll party tropes of fast cars, fast girls and fast thrills. This is music for the outcasts and those on the edges of society, a rallying call that blends muscle, melody and searing lyrics full of a hopeful and indomitable spirit. This isn’t to say that ‘Hole In My Soul’ isn’t universal as it certainly is, the themes something that everyone can relate to and rather than exclusion, what the band brings is a spirit of inclusion.
Harnessing the same firepower that has served bands like Alter Bridge so well but giving them more of a dirty and more grounded edge, For The Forsaken are able to shake the walls with their sonic attack. Certainly, there’s some anger here but the targets of that ire are well chosen and not done performatively, the catharsis of putting out something so raw and honest something that bleeds from every number.
Whilst others act the role, singer/bass player Dan Hunsdon has actually lived the life and openly talks about his journey from the abyss, the whole wearing a badge of authenticity that few can match. Certainly, family and friends have seen Hunsdon live through these times so having the support from his guitarist son Jack in the band is special in itself and along with other guitarist Stu Isteed and drummer Adam Cheverton, For The Forsaken have a bond that goes beyond the usual tales of a bunch of mates who meet at various gigs and decide to form a band.
Whilst the whole is filled with soul, there’s no time for oversentimentality and there’s not a ballad to be found amongst the dozen tracks presented here, instead power, punch and brutality are the key elements of their armory. Voices roar, guitars snarl, drums pound and basses throb with menace but whilst there’s something of a punk spirit at play, it’s all built around a solid understanding of melody and a keen attention to songwriting rather than just a blistering wall of sound. Pulling no punches, numbers like ‘No Cage’, ‘By My Side’ and the title track are pure hard rock monsters that deliver a visceral thrill and this quality never lets up once.
Powerful sentiments are at play here and when matched with superb instrumentation it’s a heady mixture as ‘My All’ and ‘Wonderlight’ admirably prove. Randomly select any track and what’s heard is a band hungry and focused enough to climb up the ranks, armed with a bunch of killer tunes that sound both modern yet timeless. All killer, no filler, it’s difficult to pick out the cream of the album but the defiant ‘Serenity’ and an unrelenting ‘Bring The Fire’ are going to figure amongst many people’s picks of the year.
When Hunsdon sings “I found my freedom from within, now I’m a fighter” on the anthemic ‘Burn Brighter’ you know this isn’t just empty rhetoric but a declaration of war on behalf of all those fighting their own personal demons. With this motivation and a debut album that stands proudly shoulder to shoulder amongst its peers, For The Forsaken have well and truly arrived. Truly incendiary.
