There’s a distinct whiff of Alkaline Trio here. Whether it is in the tone of the guitars, the promo picture or the vocal style, you could be forgiven for thinking Matt Skiba and co had released a new record under a new name. It’s ok being influenced by a band, but when you come this close to sounding like your heroes, Shrewsbury’s The Fatal Mistake need to consider whether they’re paying homage or trying to be something they are not. It’s even more worrying when you read the bio and see references to ‘they sound like Blink 182 and Green Day – and there’s even a ska song’. An identity crisis or a band trying to find their sound? Hmm…
But while my detective nose may well be a-twitching, there’s no doubting The Fatal Mistake are a good band and while they sound like an Alk3 tribute act in places, their level of musicianship is not to be sniffed at. The guitars buzz, the drums chop and the vocals are strong throughout, so much so that close your eyes and Paul McGivern sounds just like Dan Andriano. Think I’m making too much of the Alkaline Trio connections? Just give this CD a whirl and you’ll see what I mean!
Although I’ve been quite harsh so far, tracks like ‘Ambivalence’ and ‘Big Picture’ show a band with talent – driving riffs combine with crashing drums and there are plenty of vocal melodies to keep things interesting. ‘Best Befriend’ showcases the solid vocals, while the production is clean yet punchy and suits the recording perfectly. The Fatal Mistake have talent, that’s pretty clear, but to really showcase their skills the band need to find a sound which is their own, not one they’ve re-hashed from their heroes. They do what they do very well, but it’ not original enough to get me excited. I’d like to see this band six months down the line with a clutch of new songs – then we’ll see if their talent is as good as it could be. There is a band dying to break the shackles and get free – and it’s this band that could eventually go on to make waves.
www.thefatalmistake.com
Paul