Senses Fail - Renacer (ALBUM REVIEW)

Renacer means to be reborn, which in some ways is what Senses Fail has done on this album. This is the first Senses Fail album without long time guitarist Garrett Zablocki. In fact the group almost looks like a new band this go around. Buddy Neilson (vocals) and Dan Trapp (drums) are the lone members left since the group first surfaced on Drive Thru records. 

What does Senses Fail sound like when they are reborn? Well it seems the answer is heavier and a lot more aggressive. It definitely is still Senses Fail. It may throw fans for a loop at first due to the sound and songwriting style and it may take a reminder or two to yourself while you listen to this one that this is in fact Senses Fail. That being said fans of the bands earlier material that have grown with the band should still find enough here to get into the new album. Tracks like "The Path" get sludgy and almost have a nu metal vibe to them (it almost reminds me of Slipknot...no really, I'm not joking). The punk vibe that has always been present in Senses Fail's music is still present as the tracks can almost have a blistering pace at times.

The album still has a nice amount of melody and clean vocals mixed in with the screaming. Nielson's vocal ability continues to improve with releases. At times it'd be hard to recognize the singer from the band's debut album. The songwriting is really nice on this one and the direction the band took makes this really interesting. It for sure avoids the fatigue of sound some bands accumulate after so many releases.

I have to say if you were never a fan of Senses Fail this might be an album that changes your mind. It definitely stands as one of Senses Fail's better albums. I wouldn't go as far as to say it is better than Still Searching, but it is noteworthy for sure. Check this one out with an open mind and get ready to rock.