Much The Same - Everything Is Fine (Review)

Much The Same born in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois in the end of the 20th century (1999) by the hand of the frontman and main vocalist Chris McGrath, the band is known as a precursor and one of the most influence band that made a twist and evolve the genre punk rock into melodic hardcore, under the name of Don’t Look Back, two years later they change their name to Much The Same due a legal problem with another band, one year later the band release their first production EP titled Caught Off Guard (2001), two years later become a more mature album with their first debut album Quitters Never Win (2003), the classic melodic punk rock has evolved into the melodic hardcore style.
After three years of the release of their first full length album, become the release of their second full length album Survive (2006), this album is to date one of the greatest albums ever released, one year later of the release of the second album (2007), the band announced their break-up and the wish from the fans for a third album has gone. Six years has passed since the release of Survive and the legacy and the influence that Much The Same make, impact in many bands across the world induce the release for a tribute to the band (2012), featured by great bands like Jet Market, Symphony Of Distraction, Counterpunch, Adrenalized, Bedtime For Charlie, Curbside, Straightline and many more.
After the success of the tribute album, soon after something unexpected happen, it took nine years but finally Much The Same release some kind of new material, a cover song by Lagwagon Making Friends, for a tribute compilation for Fat Wreck Chords bands (2015), after this the fans all around the word ask if this can be a little sign of hope for have new album of Much The Same in the near future, in this same year Much The Same return to the stages only to perform shows and finally announces that a new album of the band comes in the next years.
After many months of speculations and delay, the last album and third one full length production of Much The Same is finally here, Everything Is Fine (2019), comes as the shortest album, featured with nine powerfull melodic hardcore songs full of insane solos with amazing riffs and of course the melodic and melancholic lyrics performed with the great vocals, with many musical and root influences of their last two full albums Quitters Never Win and Survive.

Burner
Burner take place as the first song and with an powerfull opening thanks to the energy of the execution of the drums, nice opening song and well performs that marks the official return of Much The Same, great riff for the intro and the mystical return of the vocals by Chris McGrath a lot of memories comes back with this song that enters as a new style redefining of you hear in Quitters Never Win album.

Snake In The Grass
The first single released by the band to announce the new album, performed as a slower song compared with the opening song Burner, again don’t expect hard influences and root musical technical issues by Survive, and a natural evolution that marks all the album is the voice of Chris McGrath, nice bass solos in the most end of the song works as preparation to a nice outro joined with awesome drums and guitars notes.

You Used To Have A Garden
With a brief intro, this second single released for Everything Is Fine is one of the saddest songs in the whole album, the same musical notes of Snake In The Grass, but this song has something that no one other have the melodic vocals style shared with nice instrumentals, with some backgrounds filled with nice drums solos joined with nice guitar melodies. This song has some support back vocals moments that makes this song especial in the entire album.

Haunted
Another song load with many emotional musical notes almost like in the same line as the last song of the album, again the voice of Gunnar grabs the song from the begin to the end in the same level of harmony, maybe the first one weak song in the album, not bad at all because the song opens with a nice solo instrumental performance, is the other parts of the song with weak points.

Man Of Science, Man Of Faith
One of the most impressive songs is Man Of Science Man Of Faith, for first to notice the 8-bit intro with those riffs and solos performed by the guitars and the bass shared with a powerfull and discrete drums notes makes of this song one of the best ones and finally end with an awesome solo.

Homecoming
The style of the vocals and the form as the song is sing by Gunnar reminds me a lot of that style of Survive, beyond the sing lapses you can hear a well rhythm executed by the drums, a discrete in may times the guitars and bass melodies but in the end again appears to perform some amazing notes.

Strangers In Fiction
Great instrumental intro and continue with a constant great level with the execution of specially of the drums with synchronized notes across the vocals, perform note by note behind the song and goes with some parts with great solo implement, the most emotionally song, Strangers In Fiction has the best solos and guitar riffs that any song in this album, one of the most technically song with the level of any Survive song.

In The Event Of...
A totally mistake this song and the explanation is that when you have too few songs in the album and you use one to perform a totally acoustic song is like a deception left behind great well worked album with many songs with many different harmonies and melodic notes, the song is not bad at all, the only problem is the kind of song put in the worst place and moment, it can be put as a interlude for the whole album.

Passengers
After the mistake of In The Event Of… we have without doubt the best song of the album the most influenced song by the style of the masterpiece Survive, you can hear high notes and deep vocals notes open the song and continues with awesome explosives instrumental execution by the drums, awesome guitars and bass, the well execution in the vocals in the whole song is impressive and in the end part of the song have a great epic ending.

Conclusion:
Everything Is Fine marks the return of one of the best bands of melodic hardcore not as perfect as we can hear in Survive masterpiece album but this album is in the same quality level as their first debut album Quitters Never Win and the songs are in the same influenced style of this last album, only two songs are in the instrumental roots of Survive like Passengers, Burner, Man Of Science Man Of Faith, and Strangers In Fiction, as the best 4 songs in the whole album. Mention the short of the album only nine songs and of them acoustic break the rhythm and the style of the album in the past songs, so the last song saves the album from this mistake, the great Passengers song. Maybe Everything Is Fine is not the best return and album for many Much The Same fans but is for sure that this album is one of the best albums of this year.

Final Score: ★★★★✩

Review written by: Punkerman_00
You can download the review in its original format here: Mediafire