Memphis May Fire – “This Light I Hold” [Album Review]

Some albums you just know are gonna be good. Like a fist full of Gushers (Do they still make these?? I’m all healthy and stuck up now, so I wouldn’t know. You’re welcome, dazed onlooker), the moment you hit play on This Light I Hold you are immediately overcome by opioid-like (Again, health nut, so I wouldn’t exactly know what opioids are like, but I imagine if a mid-18th century trade war – aka The Opium Wars – is any indication of what they’re worth, I’d say it’s pretty good, relatively speaking?) river of sensation.

Straight out the gate, “Out Of It” crushes your inner ear, metaphorically speaking. The mix is actually the most well-rounded, heavy ear candy I’ve heard all year, but the material itself is top shelf and has some serious bite to it. Although painted with aggressive riffages and themes, I’ve found the general voice of this album to be super uplifting and optimistic (unless I missed something, so don’t fact-check me, please. Matty Mullins’ voice in general makes me smile). Exhibit A from “Carry On”: “I’ll stand and fight for what I love and know is right.” I’m generally a very calm, teetering-on-pacifist type of person; however, this particular jam gave me the impression that I just might have to pick up an allegorical ax and open a can of rhetorical whoop ass one someone. I wasn’t quite sure upon whom this particular can of whoop ass would be applied, but someone.

The title track, “This Light I Hold”, features Jacoby Shaddix from Papa Roach, which a) rules, but more importantly b) is a great implication of the type of rock/metalcore you’re in for. The riffs and drums pummel you like a short circuited massage chair, while the vocal performances leave you with little option but to sing along. Surprise track of the album for me is “That’s Just Life”. Clean with just a touch of crunch guitars and gourmet, ballad vocals create a beautiful track that caught me off guard amongst all of the other much more bellicose tracks.

In terms of writing, every aspect of this album is a beast. I’ve always been a fan of MMF, but I’d say they’ve upped their game with this one.

This Light I Hold Track Listing:

01. Out of It
02. Carry On
03. Wanting More
04. Sever The Ties
05. The Enemy
06. This Light I Hold feat. Jacoby Shaddix
07. That’s Just Life
08. Letting Go
09. The Antidote
10. Better Things
11. Not Over Yet feat. Larry Soliman
12. Unashamed
13. Live It Well

Run Time: 50:35
Release Date: October 28, 2016

Check out the track “This Light I Hold”