What We Fear The Most is a fun ride filled with all the trimmings of the hard rock world. The thick and weighty tone of the guitars, the heavy bass, the boom of the drums. All tied with a bow that is vocals, that have the perfect balance of ruggedness and clarity. From a production standpoint, this album sounds like it just stepped out of 2005. It has that tonal quality of the music you’d listen to while racing around on a WWE or Madden game. The riffs worm their way into your ears with a rough and sharp quality that lands very pleasantly. Even if you’re someone who doesn’t subscribe to the opinion that mid-2000s rock music was the best time for rock (in which case you’d be wrong) I think Attic Theory’s approach to melody and composition will impress you. Their work on the hooks is great. Songs like “Tapestry” and “Sweet Paradise” hit me with a brutally melodic mood.
I think the way they’ve constructed the album is pretty good. Each song feels like it naturally flows into the next. You have the attention-grabbing opener in “Violent Delight”, a beautifully composed centrepiece “Million Little Things” as the centre-piece of the record, and closing off the album with a solemn heartfelt ballad “The Legacy”. The rest of the album filled in with real kick-ass rock jams that filled my little heart with glee. This is exactly the kind of album I would have been listening to as a kid when I was just discovering rock music. I think that if you didn’t already know they were from the UK, you’d be easily fooled that they were US-born and bred.
In saying this I could tell what someone might not like in this album. I know many people are not into that post-grunge; alt-rock sound. While there may be individual songs that are pretty universal. I do think the ballads are songs that pretty much anyone can enjoy. The album has its harsher moments that fans of a cleaner sound may not like. It’s not a conventionally pretty sound. Yet, it’s something that speaks to me and my particular taste. If you’re anything like me, and you enjoy the kind of rock music I usually talk about, then I think that you might like this.
I would usually say something like; this album wouldn’t change your mind about the genre. That is sort of true, though I think there’s more to it. The album has its crowd-pleasing moments “Tattooed Heart” and “Papier-Mâché” come to mind. Especially the latter song, which features the vocals of seasoned veteran, Kevin Martin (commonly known as the singer for Candlebox). The chorus sore a little higher and the riffs stick in the mind so much that you can commit them to memory. I do think some songs might feel a little muddy to the average listener. I would say “A Brand New Burden” fits this category. For me, it sounds fine. Though if you’re used to more of that polished cleaner rock tone, I could hear you writing it off as an album track.
This is such a solid rock record. I could count the ways this album has moved me. From its captivating melodies to its catchy hooks, all brought to you with stunning production. I have no problem recommending this to pretty much anyone I speak to. I think the term that sums up this record is complete, it's a very complete record. It comes with all the bells and whistles for my particular taste in rock music. The Liverpool rock collective hits you with full force and also displays remarkable competence with how they structure their songs. What We Fear The Most is something I’d recommend you listen to at least once. Even if it’s not to your taste, I’m sure you might find something that you can at least appreciate. Attic Theory has risen in my opinion over the last few years and this record is just another notch in their rather impressive record.
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