Funeral for a Friend

这边厢的美国乐队带着一身入型入格英伦New Wave／Post-Punk熏陶而来，而另一边厢亦倒有不少英伦乐队以大摇大滚的美式摇滚风骨在祖家杀出新血路。
 
像来自南威尔斯的Funeral For A Friend，自出道以来便被视为英伦方面对美国Emo体系的响应，甚至从他们身上所彰显出的巨大Metal音量、Post-Hardcore的暴烈绽放、Power-Pop的流畅调子，要是不知他们的来龙去脉，那定可瞒骗你Funeral For A Friend是一支亚美利坚摇滚乐团。
 
回到2003年，除了The Darkness之外，Funeral For A Friend便是当年另一最锋芒毕露的英国新晋摇滚乐团。大抵群众已厌倦了那一众感性结他乐队，像他们这样高举摇滚旗帜的队伍，却成为了音乐市场上的一大冲击。结果Funeral For A Friend在当年发表的首张专辑Causally Dressed & Deep In Conversation，在英国迄今已达超过十万张的销量，算是旗开得胜。
 
十八个月后带来乐队的第二击Hours，这次明显看到Funeral For A Friend立心要瞄准庞大的美国市场进发。
 
与IRON MAIDEN上路
 
两年前，Funeral For A Friend以平地一声雷的姿态火速崛起，那倒是不争的事实。这队由歌手Matt Davies、两名结他手Kris Coombs-Roberts和Darren Smith、低音结他手Gareth Davies以及鼓手Ryan Richards所构成的威尔斯乐团在2002年初才成军，但一年后已被主流唱片集团Warner Music罗致──在此之前他们只有在02年中于独立厂牌Mighty Atom Records推出过一张Between Order And Model EP而已，即成为业界的刮角对象。
 
英国音乐传媒与群众对Funeral For A Friend趋之若鹜，彷佛是看到一队本土Emo乐队的衍生而鼎力支持。当然，他们在音乐上并非有何独特之处，但却反映到英国乐迷其实很需要这种具有爆炸力的大摇大滚声音。
 
然而对于Funeral For A Friend来说，让他们最欢喜若狂是可以随同他们心仪己久英国殿堂级Heavy Metal班霸Iron Maiden（曾见过Kris身穿其T恤）举行欧洲巡回演出担任暖场乐队。
 
坚过美利坚?
 
在英国踏出成功的一步，Funeral For A Friend的目标，是要入侵美国市场，甚至不惜放下英国乐队的身段，实行要跟众美国大军同声同气。
 
所以Hours不但在这年1月至3月间远赴西雅图灌录，而为他们担纲监制的Terry Date又曾跟Soundgarden、Pantera、Deftones和Limp Bizkit合作过。当年Funeral For A Friend本属英国Warner Music的Indie音乐支部Infections Records，现在亦已「过户」到历史悠久的Atlantic Records，那实行要让他走向国际级的层次。
 
感觉上， Hours里的作品已收敛了源自Emo／Post-Hardcore的暴烈绽放，反之歌曲乃更着重旋律，让他们听来更像一支摇滚乐团。由电话声带出的先行单曲Streetcar那刚劲Power-Pop曲式配以连珠爆发的Double Bass Drum，有着流畅曲调之余也不失其爆炸力。但Funeral For A Friend似乎更想表现出他们硬摇滚的一面，像Drive和Nothing都充塞着铺天盖地的八十年代式巨大Metal结他Riff（后者更施展了Matt的「呕泥腔」），不难听到跟Iron Maiden上路后对他们留下的熏陶。
 
要刚柔并重， Hospitality、Drive和History等中板Rock Ballad自然不可缺，以展示其作曲才华，似乎Funeral For A Friend的音乐已愈来愈正路。Drive宛如Red Hot Chili Peppers的Mellow曲目，美妙的History在末段更献上大合唱的场面。低回闇黑的Sonny由电子节拍带出，但看不出有何电音熏陶，反之曾跟Linkin Park举行美国巡回演出的他们，此曲大抵正流露出Linkin Park对乐队的影响。
 
前作Causally Dressed & Deep In Conversation的封面玩耐人寻味（一对背靠背的蒙头男女），今次Hours则玩学生妹（此女生在封套内还一人分饰多角色玩尽不同时代学生Look），似乎Funeral For A Friend一心要主打年轻人市场。似乎他们的歌曲能出现在荷李活青春电影的原声专辑内也是迟早的事。
 
然而美国的Emo乐队有如恒河沙数，当地群众又可会受落这队「外劳」吗？
 
Welsh quintet Funeral for a Friend featured vocalist Matt Davies, guitarists Kris Roberts and Darran Smith, bassist Gareth Davies, and drummer Randy Richards. The quintet's energized blend of emo, metal, and post-hardcore first appeared in 2002 with a series of EPs and singles, including Between Order and Model, Four Ways to Scream Your Name, and &Juneau.& The releases wound up landing them on the cover of Kerrang! magazine, instant hype that paid off in the shape of a record deal with Warner Music. Funeral for a Friend's debut full-length, Casually Dressed & Deep in Conversation, was issued in October 2003. It was not given a concurrent U.S. release; instead, the seven-track mini-CD Seven Ways to Scream Your Name (collecting non-album tracks from the earlier EPs) appeared domestically via the New Jersey indie Ferret. Meanwhile, Funeral for a Friend embarked on a series of high-profile touring engagements, including a series of European dates opening for Iron Maiden. Touring continued through summer 2004. The Spilling Blood in 8mm DVD appeared in September with live footage, videos, and a band documentary. Funeral for a Friend returned in June 2005 with Hours, their second full-length; more touring followed, including the band's first stint on the Warped Tour. The guys also picked up that year's Kerrang! award for Best British Band. Back at home by the end of 2005, Matt Davies used some downtime from touring to work on material for his first side project, the alt-country-inspired the Secret Show, whose debut album was released in February 2007. Three months later, Funeral for a Friend issued their next album, Tales Don't Tell Themselves, subsequently jumping on the road for headlining dates in the U.K. and U.S. before spending summer on the Warped Tour.