By Omar Tanamly (May 20, 2004)

Band: Five Iron Frenzy
Album: The End is Here
Rating: 

Five Iron Frenzy’s ninth official release, "The End is Near," carries on but also brings the band’s vibrant eight and a half year career as one of the most popular and memorable ska bands around to a bouncy halt. It was created as Five Iron Frenzy’s last studio album ever, as the eight-piece Colorado ska band officially dismantled after collaborating one last time on this album last June, which was released for the first time in spring 2004.

Trademark of their upbeat, positively buoyant, fast-paced tunes, "The End is Near" offers 13 very catchy tracks, and goes beyond a regular album with the addition of a second disc of Five Iron Frenzy’s last live performance, composed of several memorable career highlights as well as many of the new songs off the studio record. Now instead of organizing this in a typical, boring format, I will now try to describe the beauty of not just this album, but all of Five Iron Frenzy’s music.

In my opinion, this record is a phenomenal continuation of the long-lasting era of ska music that Five Iron Frenzy has provided for the past eight and half years. However, the ska music molded and crafted by this band probably means a lot more to other people than it does to me. Five Iron Frenzy are acknowledged worldwide as a Christian band, which is evident enough in both their lyrics and mid-song gaps on their live records. That is great if you are into that, but for someone like me, who doesn’t resort to music with religion in mind at all, I find that Five Iron Frenzy’s sound speaks just as loud as their message.

Singer Reese Roper’s voice not only fits the music perfectly, but raises its level of appeal infinitely. With a passion pretty much un-mirrored in contemporary ska music, Roper’s lyrics spin webs that illuminate his love of God, his band’s obscure antics, his dedication and devotion to the band’s fans, and humorous, witty twists on typical catch phrases that will have you singing along quicker than "Wizard needs food, badly." Yet, it’s not just Roper’s lyrics that create the undeniable, lovable monster that is Five Iron Frenzy. Believe it or not, the music helps!

With a musical repertoire that includes two guitarists, one bassist, one trombone player, one trumpet player, one saxophone player, and a drummer, Five Iron manage to create tunes certainly emblematic of the ska genre, yet never without unique riffs and horn parts. If there is one thing that can make a new record stale way too quickly, it is predictability. If you find yourself accurately guessing lyrical phrases and guitar riffs upon first listen, you probably will retire that particular album without much haste. However, lucky enough for both us, "The End is Near" provides a relief from all of that, and although you will find yourself humming, singing, and stomping to the beat of the irrefutably concise flow in a short time, it will be in a good way, because this album sucks you in and refuses to let you go without more than slight protest. The five second intro to track one, titled "Cannonball," lets you know quickly that the album promises to measure up to Five Iron Frenzy’s past music. In fact, the entire song replicates delightfully the style that Five Iron Frenzy has long ago crafted, yet does it without an ounce of aggravating repetition. 

The band’s brass section demonstrates their overwhelming ability to elevate the song with their enticing and uplifting bits and pieces that are precisely scattered throughout the entire melodic mix that the album offers. "American Kryptonite" also draws attention to the horn players’ excellent ability to create captivating riffs that only brighten the songs’ already shining luster. "See the Flames Begin to Crawl" offers something of a reggae feel, a style that Five Iron Frenzy had probably toyed with in the past, yet had definitely not concocted in such a compelling form as they managed to accomplish on this track. I can honestly say, however, that each song on this release is a highlight, for if even if you don’t find yourself caring much for a particular part, others will eventually grow on you quickly.

It is an absolute pity that I didn’t have the chance to catch Five Iron Frenzy in their prime while they were still around, for the second addition to this release clearly highlights the band’s live potential. The guitar riffs translate fluidly onto the live recording, definitely a little faster than usual, but doing wonders to propel the intense crowd, who can be heard throughout the whole ordeal singing and screaming along to what was to be the band’s absolutely final show. The track listing is composed to both a mix of old favorites and a pleasant array of songs from the new album.

My only initial complaint was that the set list was not composed of enough older songs. Then I remembered that I already own a live album that Five Iron Frenzy recorded in the summer of 1999, titled "Proof That the Youth are Revolting," which showcases all the favorites that were missing on the playlist for the new live album and more. Bottom line, the live album is just as good as the studio CD, offering most of the latter’s songs in novel form, with the awesome addition of past memorable tracks like "Handbook for the Sellout," and "Every New Day."

I find that I don’t do this release much justice with my review, for I don’t think I am in a position to fairly critique the magic of Five Iron Frenzy. I can say, however, that I love this album and it was much more than I expected when I purchased it. It delivers the same bar-raising performance that I have come to love about the band. It is an admirable farewell to a group that decided the time had come for them to pass their torch onto the next group of eager teenagers who, with a cause and a love, will go on to generate fun-filled, loveable, awesome, rockin music that no one, with an open mind and ear, will be able to deny. "The End is Near" is an impressive album from a larger-than-life band that disbanded to many fans dismay, yet left behind a generation of uncontrollable ska music that will serve my interests, at least, for years to come.