The Welsh rock/emo suit "Funeral For a Friend"s second album "Hours" is a 45-minute rhythm, riff and sing-along funfest of fantastic music.
The album shows Funerals Post-Hardcore style, and for any rock lover out there, you'll be addicted.

A little about the band

Funeral For a Friend are a Welsh Post-Hardcore band formed in 2001. The current members of the band are as follows:-

Matt Davies - Vocals
Kris Coombs-Roberts - Guitar
Gareth Davies - Bass
Ryan Richards - Drums, Backing Vocals
Darran Smith - Guitar


They began their musical career releasing the EPs
"Between Order & Model" and "4 Ways To Scream Your Name", although later these were combined to create a larger EP named "Seven Ways To Scream Your Name."

Funeral For a Friend then went on to release their debut album:
"Casually Dressed and Deep in Conversation" creating a unique style. The album featured many of the songs that were on the EP, with some new ones alongside them.
Three songs out of the album hit the top 20:
"Jeneau", "Escape Artists Never Die" and "She Drove Me To Daytime Television"

Hours [2005]
I bought this album mid-last year, and as soon as I placed the disc in my stereo, I was immediately blown away by the energetic opening song 'All The Rage.'
This, immediately followed by the unforgettable riffs of 'Streetcar' really gave the listener a great first impression of the album.

However, the qualities of the band not only lie in their energy that shows through crystal-clear at the start of the album, but they can match that quality with slower numbers. With songs such as 'Hospitality', 'Drive' and 'History' all appearing in the mid-sections of the album - It is obvious that the band is filled with thoroughly talented musicians. It is beyond me how they were never bigger, to be honest.
The back end of the album sees the energy come back, with 'Recovery' and 'The End of Nothing'. 'The End of Nothing' has some screaming in, and maybe the only song in the album that doesn't appeal to all listeners.

Finally, the album finishes on a light note with the song 'Sonny.'

I especially like the energy and unique style the band shows off throughout the album. While "The End of Nothing" is almost fitting into the Metal genre, other songs are rocky and a pleasure to listen to. The lighter songs such as "History" are great for easy listening. With all these styles built into the one album, Hours is an awesome purchase.

As I said as a disadvantage, there are a few weaker songs on the album. This is mainly due to the strength of the opening two songs - highlighting the ones that haven't been so much of a success, such as "Monsters".

Overall,
The album 'Hours' by Funeral For a Friend really captured my imagination, and had me listening to it several times over. I fully recommend the album to anybody who likes modern rock. It is a great mix, and I'm really looking forward to their new album, released
May 14th 2007 - "Tales Don't Tell Themselves"