ASKING ALEXANDRIA - LIKE A HOUSE ON FIRE
Rosie shares her thoughts on the latest Asking Alexandria release, Like A House On Fire, and lets you know whether she thinks you should listen or not.
Kicking ass since 2008 with gold certified singles ‘The Final Episode (Let’s Change The Channel)’ and ‘Not The American Average’, Asking Alexandria have never stopped climbing the success ladder with past albums; Reckless And Relentless, From Death To Destiny, The Black, Self -Titled and LP5DLX, which was only released last year. This success landed them stage spots next to the likes of Avenged Sevenfold, Guns N Roses and Slipknot. To keep us going in a time of chaos and uncertainty, Asking Alexandria have been working hard to grace us all with another album.
Stepping away from previous heavier, metal core elements, Like A House On Fire brings us back down to earth with more honesty and sincerity within the lyrics along side poppy guitar riffs and synths. The opening track and latest single, ‘House On Fire’ launches into a powerful chant and a catchy chorus, immediately uplifting and uniting fans with the band from the moment of the first listen.
Guitarist, Ben Bruce says that the track is about“... what we’ve got going on now and what we’re sharing. This band is getting on like a house on fire right now. The album is the most fun we’ve had since Stand Up and Scream.”
‘I Don’t Need You’ is an emotional, heartbreaking tribute to a pass relationship and bad blood. With strings and piano melodies while also featuring Grace Grundy on the track, the song is brought to life with the two different perspectives, as well as showing off Danny Worsnop’s vocals in a completely different, softer style that tugs on our heartstrings.
In an ever-changing industry with so much pressure and criticism hidden in every corner, Asking Alexandria have decided to stick to their guns and write on a whim. If quarantine has taught us a few things, it’s that we often take many things for granted and often end up not living life to the fullest. And despite a difficult few years “... When we were kids, we moved to America with no money and lived in a carpark to make this happen. Obviously, we’ve had a turbulent past and history, from drugs and alcohol to Danny’s departure and return...”, they have come out the whirlwind with a stronger mindset and pushed the boundaries of music genres and their individual musical abilities.
‘One Turns None’ is packed with punchy riffs and dramatic melodies lurching from heavier elements during the chorus “I’m an animal, yeah I’m an animal...” to lighter, pop features in the verses like echoing backing vocals and synths. ‘One Turns None’ is the perfect addition to the soundtrack of your daily exercise. It’s a reviving statement about doing things your own way and unleashing the power buried deep within you.
Asking Alexandria have really knocked Like A House On Fire out of the park. It does everything to test their abilities, musical boundaries, is brutally honest and takes a few risks to test their fans’ response. A pleasant surprise and lifeline for anyone struggling with the toll of quarantine and festival and gig cancellations. “Everyone wants to live life to the fullest...We wrote the record we wanted to write and had a fucking blast doing it.” When it’s safe to come together to finally hear this album live, it’s going to be wild.
Rosie Chalk
★★★★☆