The Blamed has added a new member for this project, Matt Switaj. Like frontman Brian Grey and bassist Jeff Locke, Switaj is a member of the Jesus People USA community in Chicago, and he plays guitar and handles much of the lead vocals on this project. Someone new on lead vocals could have been a disaster, but Matt and Brian mix rather well. The Blamed's longtime drummer, Jim Chaffin (who also pounded the skins for Mortal's "Intense Live" EP and "Wake" CD), is still with them, and still as awesome on a set as ever.
Lyrically, this is not an album to be taken lightly. The Blamed pulls no punches in getting the message across:
Forever forgiven
Sanctified by the blood of Christ
Set apart to give God the glory
And love one another
(from "Forever")
The Blamed isn't afraid to tackle issues either, with a song about Matthew Shepard, the young man brutally beaten to death for his homosexuality, in "Pistol Whipped," and another about the death penalty, "Beyond Your Passion is His Passion."
Production is very tight, as I've come to expect from the Grrr Records team. The only gripe about this disc is production of one song. The female vocal on "4/20/99" isn't bright enough in the mix, rendering it somewhat hard to understand. The song is clearer on headphones than it was on a full stereo.
Bottom line: The Blamed is not now, nor were they ever, a pop-punk band. This album is definitely not for the faint-hearted. But if your ideal disc is brutally honest old-school punk, then The Blamed's "Forever" will fit nicely into your mix.
4.5 tocks
Other coverage for this album
HM Magazine #79Reviewed by David BixlerWell, Brian Grey and company have released another CD as The Blamed. This CD is a big change from their earlier Tooth & Nail albums, and after the disappointment of Again..., Forever comes as a very pleasant and refreshing surprise. Most people would recognize the Blamed as a hardcore, thrashy punk band. Though these elements are evident on this album, they don't dominate as much as they did on…The Phantom Tollbooth 1999Reviewed by Josh SpencerYou never know what to expect from the ever-changing Blamed, and Forever is no exception. They've pulled a switchback, slamming to a halt somewhere between the basic East Coast hardcore of last year's Against and the thrashfest of 1995's Frail. And it's their best yet, a perfect fusion of classic hardcore shout-singing, updated '80s thrash riffing (check the slowed-down old-skool Metallica moves…The Phantom Tollbooth 1999Reviewed by Joe RockstrohOne of Christian music's more prolific acts, The Blamed are back with their fourth album, and the familiar hardcore sound is back, with a few new metal riffs and some awesome drumming moving The Blamed closer to new-school hardcore. While the music is fast and furious, the lyrics add even more punch as they speak on subjects as diverse as the beating death of Matthew Shepard and as controversial…Similar sounding releases
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