After reuniting last year, Modern Life Is War haven’t really fucked about making a new record (not even bothering to announce the reformation until they were seemingly pretty much done with it). ‘Fever Hunting’ is the first effort since their 2007 album ‘Midnight In America’, and it sees them leaning further towards a style that fans of La Dispute will be instantly at home with (especially vocally), though it’s more to-the-point and hooky than that particular Michigan outfit.
The execution here is excellent and every note is placed expertly to tape. Opener ‘Old Fears, New Frontiers’, ‘Media Cunt’ and ‘Blind Are Breeding’ are early favourites, but the record as whole is made of many subtle pleasures, and the album doesn’t feel at all like it’s been put together in a rush. Modern Life Is War have never really been a band for 10 minute epics, and they don’t start doing it here with ‘Fever Hunting’ either, leaving it full of succinct hardcore that flows well and showcases a band that haven’t got back together to tread old ground and make some cash out of it.
They manage to sound brutal without resorting to being too “tough guy”, and it’s perfect blend of what they were before and what hardcore is now – ‘Chasing My Tail’ shows that off nicely, and the end of ‘Currency’ proclaiming “time is precious and it’s slipping away, your friends are precious and they’re slipping away” is also worth a mention as one of the moments that show of why they’re here and what they’re trying to do with the new record.
Announcing that you’re getting back together and releasing an album this strong isn’t something you’d expect that often, so it’s all the more a pleasant surprise, and though the band don’t seem particularly intent on touring, seeing some tracks from ‘Fever Hunting’ live would be an absolute joy – so here’s hoping that we get a few European shows at some point. An album well worth getting your teeth stuck into, and a fine way to discover the band if you missed out first time around.
TOM AYLOTT