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The Famine
The Raven and The Reaping
Album length: 11 tracks: 32 minutes, 34 seconds
Street Date: May 27, 2008
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Thus far, 2008 seems to be the year of reincarnated or resurrected hardcore bands. Earlier this year, Advent was formed
out of the remains of Beloved, while Living Sacrifice has (oh happy happy happy) returned and is touring with Demon Hunter,
and now three founding members of Embodyment (does everyone remember Embodyment?) have formed The Famine: a
fast, grindy, gritty metal band that brings a lot to the table.
Off the top, I can say that fans of Living Sacrifice, especially older LS like Inhabit or Reborn, and
fans of Extol will probably appreciate The Raven and The Reaping. Familiar themes of war, redemption,
forgiveness, struggle, and loneliness play about on each track. Guitars roar with that cat-in-a-blender-in-a-microwave-in-a-steel-keg-rolling-down-a-hill
kind of distortion. There is some nice solo work on “Unending Silence,” and drum-work is wicked fast with a relentless
grind-core tinge on the whole album.
I can’t say as there is a whole lot the separates The Famine from the pack, but this is a must-listen for metal fans that
love (as I do) a band that never turns off the distortion pedals. Certainly the lyrics are worth listening to, and I
certainly appreciate a band that keeps the sing-along parts to a minimum, and makes liberal use of the throbbing double bass.
This is not a modern metal album by any means. If you’re into lots of breakdowns and mush-parts, and melodic emo parts,
The Famine is definitely not the band for you. The Famine write smart, uncompromising, metal tracks like it’s their job.
While this certainly detracts from the unique standout parts that more artistic and melodic nu-metal bands are working with
these days, The Raven and The Reaping stands firmly as a presentation of something new, while at the same time belonging to the annals of metal past.
- Review date: 6/2/08, written by Sean Lex
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 Record Label: Tooth & Nail Records
Album length: 11 tracks: 32 minutes, 34 seconds
Street Date: May 27, 2008
Buy It: JfH Music Store
- Scar The Earth
- Behemoth
- Consume Devour Repeat
- The South Will Rise
- Death Threat
- Killing For Sport
- Cut From The Stone
- Ascend
- Another Foot To The Shovel
- Unending Silence
- Stitched In Plastic
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