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REVIEW – VICTORY RECORDS sure has changed in the last decade. I can remember at one time when they were an all punk label. Now, they are running the gambit on music. It does seem in the last few years they have put a lot of focus on young hungry bands. The track record with Victory and female fronted bands is iffy. Sister Sin and Otep sold moderately well on the positive side. For those two stories, there are always a story of a band who did not catch on that came to the label unknown like The Royalty. This is where I have had past issues with the label. It is easy to sign a band like Taproot and put out their record and let the band’s name work as a selling point. Victory has done that well in the past. Though, when it comes to newer bands that do not have a career before signing or a built in fan-base, I feel that Victory really struggles. Why do I start the review off with this? FOREVERATLAST are a poppy punk band that has so much positive going for it, that I am afraid that they are going to get lost in the shuffle which would be sad. They are not exactly a new band having been together since 2011, but this record is their big statement on what they have to offer. Vocalist Brittany Paris has this mixture of Emily Haines and Layla Allman. She has this sensuality and emotion to her delivery that while the songs are catchy you are also just consumed by what she can do musically. Jordan Vickers and Seth Brown backup vocals and guitar riffs and bass compliment her style so well. Then you have the drummer Jared Paris who just gives the songs that extra punch to get you from sitting down to rocking out.
The negative right off the bat, I have not heard their debut album and I have to seek it out. I know we are in the age of music being here today, gone today. Ghosts Again is that record that once you listen to, you cannot put it down. They have a personality and charm that wins you over from the start. I feel people will watch their video or see their social media page and think this is some kind of Flyleaf or Paramore wanna be like band. So, after the fact we realize that all three bands had that young female vocalist, realize FOREVERATLAST has something that those other bands do not have to offer, and that is some really solid identity defining music. This record seems like a Jekyll and Hyde at times. The first half of this record is the more harder edged pop music. The hooks are all on display as is the attitude and personality of their lead singer. The second half of the record is when things change and the music seems to come across more radio inspired than furious. By no means, is that a negative on FOREVERATLAST. FOREVERATLAST will be a great challenge for VICTORY RECORDS. How do you change people’s minds before they can even form an opinion? I have listened to this record three times all the way thru, and the songs get better each time. While the band has little flaws here and there, there is nothing that is so serious that you should be worried about. I feel that for FOREVERATLAST, if they can land on some major tours and maybe get a free internet radio shows to play their album, they could get draw some attention to what they offer. I just hope that this record does not go ignored and that the label realizes that they may have to build FOREVERATLAST. I mean, bands like LACUNA COIL and PARAMORE did hit the scene running in the gold fields overnight. And these days, most labels want that. A band with an in house following that is going to sell millions off the bat. With Ghosts Again FOREVERATLAST has created a fun party punk pop album that could get people talking.
More info can be found on FOREVERATLAST at:
www.ForeverAtLast.com
www.Facebook.com/ForeverAtLast
www.Twitter.com/FALBand
www.Instagram.com/ForeverAtLastBand
www.YouTube.com/ForeverAtLastVEVO