(((((OPENmind/SATURATEDbrain))))): FOLLY

Sunday, 11 December 2016

FOLLY

Band: FOLLY

Genres: Punk / Hardcore / Metalcore / Ska
Related artists: Captives, Mix Tape and Hoover Flags.
Country: Sussex, New Jersey USA
Years Active: 1997-2008 & 2011 (reunion)
Song: "Forfeit Sundials"
Album: "Resist Convenience"
Year: 2006
For fans of: The Suicide Machines, (early) Codeseven, Saosin, Recover, Beloved, Callahan, The Bled, 7-10 Split, Versus The Mirror, Lyed, In Reverent Fear, I Am Alaska, Shai Hulud, Boys Night Out, Bury Me Standing, (early) Cave In, Inside Out, Cold Craving, Circles Over Sidelights, Secret Arms, Fall Silent, Jude The Obscure, The Number Twelve Looks Like You, This Day Forward and In Pieces.

Label(s): Self Released / Twisted Crown Records / New World Records
This post's artist is from the November 2016 Mix. This is track #5.

You can download: the December 2016 Mix#12 right here or get the new January 2017 Mix#1 here.

Do I love FOLLY? Nope. Are they good? I mean, yeah, I guess. It's not so much is the band good or not, but did they have a few good songs and/or parts, and the answer to that is yes. What did those songs sound like? They were generally melodic metalcore with a lot of screaming. What did the band sound like? Melodic hardcore meets ska. So I'm going to quickly discuss a few albums and songs and then conclude this post.

First, the closest and most apt comparisons are The Suicide Machines Codeseven, Callahan, The Bled, I Am Alaska, Secret Arms and In Pieces as the bands mixes the thick and breakdown laden metallic hardcore with excellent screamy vocals that have a few different variations. FOLLY began in 1997 during the members' high school years. After releasing demos in 1998 and 1999 they released their first EP in 2001 called 'For My Friends' which is a strange mix of pretty weak ska (although I'm definitely no expert on the genre) and moshy, metallic hardcore. After another demo in 2002 they dropped 'Insanity Later' in 2004 with pretty positive response, including Shai Hulud describing them as Death Ska, which I think is interesting but not overly relevant to band's sound, especially once 2004 hit. I find the songs generally displaced when the cleaner, melodic parts creep in and think the band would have benefited from dropping them altogether. I find that every song released after 2003 has some amazing parts, but no single song is amazing because of being bogged down by mediocre tangents. Even so, this is a must listen for anyone who likes the likes of The Bled, In Reverent Fear and perhaps even Norma Jean.

In 2006 they released the LP that I first heard by the band titled 'Resist Convenience' and is the closest thing to a major label and produced record, with much of it coming across as The Bled. This is another decent album worth checking out for fans of moshy, technical hardcore (although I do get a bro-type feel from them now and again). I was unaware until writing this review, but FOLLY self-released a digital/cd EP titled 'These are the Names of the Places We Broke Down In' in 2008. These final songs pretty much put to rest any notion of the band playing ska music anymore, which I commend. The songs are a natural progression from the 2006 LP but incorporate the heavier elements from the 2004 LP instead of becoming tamer and more publicly accessible.

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DISCOGRAPHY
Click )==>here<==( to download the band's two LPs in mp3 form.

1998 - Demo EP

1999 - Demo cdrEP

2001 - For My Friends cdEP

2002 - '02 Demo cdEP

2004 - Insanity Later cdLP (download here)

2006 - Resist Convenience cdLP (download here)

2008 - These are the Names of the Places We Broke Down In cdEP

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(2008) FOLLY - "Odessa, Texas" (from 'These are the Places That We Broke Down In')