Music Review: Thousand Foot Krutch - Welcome To The Masquerade

Genre: Rock
Label: Tooth & Nail
Release Date: September 8, 2009

Rating: 4/5

Thousand Foot Krutch is one of those bands where you pretty know what you’re going to get when you pop in their CD. Crunchy guitar riffs, pounding drums, a combination of singing and rapping, and vocals that won’t challenge your intellect a lot, but will surely succeed in sufficiently pumping up fans (“Rawkfist,” anyone?). That being said, I was pleasantly surprise with their latest album, Welcome to the Masquerade. Now they’re not suddenly lyrical masters, but this album shows increased maturity, both musically and even lyrically, to a lesser extent. The guys have cemented themselves as stalwarts in the Christian rock scene, and they’re not going anywhere anytime soon.

Standouts here include “Fire It Up,” which is sure to be used as introduction music at a sporting event near you soon, “Bring Me To Life,” with a verse structure that sounds similar to Disturbed, “E For Extinction,” and “Smack Down,” a stellar pre-game song as well that was my favorite song on the album (and even includes some Queen influences). Mostly what you have here are songs with solid riffs and vocals, themes of Us-Against-The-World, and testosterone-infused beats. There’s not a huge secret to TFK’s appeal. Some will continue to criticize the lyrical content, but the guys know who they are and what their fans want. They continue to give it to them. For me, they’re growing enough to keep me interested as well.

They do attempt some deeper ballads, but I don’t really think they work all that well. “Watching Over Me” sports some decent harmonies and a driving, rock ballad chorus, but the lyrics are just a little too clichéd and cheesy for me. “Look Away” is similar in its effectiveness. Musically, the guys prove they can write these types of songs, but the lyrics just still leave some depth to be craved, although there’s definitely growth. The one notable exception to this is "Already Home," which closes out the album and utilizes great vocals, strings, and emotional lyrics. This slower tune is quite good. The guys are capable; they just have to be a little more consistent as they branch out in terms of style.

Overall, I doubt many TFK fans are disappointed too much with this one. The band just might not win over a ton more with it, either. I’ve been using it routinely during workouts as few bands can get you going more than these guys can, and that’s really their appeal in my opinion. They stir emotions and get your blood moving. Through that lens, this album is fantastic.



*This album was provided for review by Tooth & Nail (Thanks, Lori!).