Exclusive Review: Freak the Mighty – Remember the Monsters
Artist: Freak The Mighty
Album: Remember the Monsters
Rating: 5/5
Life, in essence, is insanity at it’s finest. Day in and day out, we’re faced with new demons that we have to overcome, new struggles we have to endure. While it may be a difficult feat, it’s all in the interest of a bigger picture. You see, if we weren’t faced with these demons, these struggles, things that would break a normal person and bring them to their knees, we wouldn’t be half the individuals that we are today. You may become a monster in the process of getting through it, that’s okay, the monster is the primitive part of our psyche taking over. OK’s Freak The Mighty wants you to embrace the person you once were, they want you to Remember the Monsters. For vocalist Josh Hight and guitarist Ricky Mendoza, though, this EP is something so much greater. The band’s debut EP of the same name is, quite simply, an “outside-looking-in” account into their psyche. Their sound boasts a raw, southern grit while maintaining a heavy facade when needed. There are also some tinges of an industrial sound to it. It’s incredibly emotional, personal and relatable to the listener. What do they do to set themselves apart from the other bands of the world, though? Why should you listen to/buy the EP? Well, for starters, they’re completely independent. You might say “well, okay.. but so are a ton of other bands.” You’re right but there are few bands out there, that I know of, who work for it as hard as these guys do. They’ve just begun playing shows, Mendoza recorded many of his parts with a broken hand (what a badass!) They hunger to get into the limelight and with the release of Remember the Monsters, they’re well on their way.
The album opens up with an intro track called “Veradae.” This track was written by Mendoza when he was 19, in a very bad place in life and he wanted to create something beautiful, yet tragic at the same time. This sets the scene for all of the tough subjects that were written about for this EP and flows amazingly into the next track, “Ultimatum.” It’s dark, yet vibrant. It represents a sense of desperation but crawls into a sense of hope. It couldn’t have been written more perfectly than it is.
“Ultimatum” begins and we’re immediately reminded of Nine Inch Nails’ hit single “Closer.” Shortly after, we’re treated to a groovy, funk-laden bass line from Jimmy Cornelious (no longer with the band.) The guitars and overall vibe of this track are both very heavy. Once we get to the chorus, we’re hit with a very fast, impressive and almost rap-like vocal delivery from Hight. This track was written about the struggles you have within yourself (ie: feeling like you have a dual persona), the ultimatums you have for yourself and working to be the strongest you can because of them. It ends with a tagline from the hit show Dexter that goes “Open your eyes and look what you did…” leading us into the next track, and the one I have the most history with, “Vigilante.”
“Vigilante” is a track that doesn’t have a hidden meaning, the title says it all. It’s about finding the person who wronged you, taking what you deserve and making sure that they pay for it in the process. Mendoza and Mitchell’s guitar-playing, in this track especially, really brings out that southern vibe I mentioned earlier. This track is mean, gritty and in your face. The band recently shot a live video for it, which can be viewed below as well.
A track with lyrics that really sit heavy on my heart is that of “The Fever.” This track tackles many different subjects including: self-destruction, drug addiction and the feeling of detoxing from all of that. The lyrics were written by Hight and you can feel how personal they are to him. Whether or not these are issues that he has dealt with personally or that he’s watched someone go through remains to be seen but you can feel how heavy the lyrics are to him as he delivers the vocals to this. Oddly enough, this is one of the catchier tracks on the EP, despite the dark lyrical content. It bounces along and sounds like it’s one that the crowd could have fun with, too.
The final track, “Stones,” is FTM’s way of giving the world the big middle finger. Bands scratch, claw and fight to get to the top these days. They work tirelessly, day in and day out. You’re always going to have those who doubt your abilities but this track is about proving them wrong. For that reason, this track isn’t soft and subtle, it’s heavy, it’s gnarly and in your face. The way the track ends is almost thrash-like, which is insane, considering we haven’t heard anything like that on the EP so far. Listen to the very end of the track, right before it closes out, for a cute little surprise, though!
It’s no wonder why Freak the Mighty is quickly becoming one of my favorite up-and-coming bands. They’ve just begun playing live shows and, you can tell from the video below, that it’s going well so far! Remember the Monsters is a strong stance against the normal and, perhaps, that’s the reason for choosing their name. They want to separate themselves from the pack and remain strong, original and beautiful as they are. One thing is for sure, though, they’ve got a bright future ahead of them! Be sure to pick up your copy of Remember the Monsters on their BandCamp page, check out the video for “Vigilante” below and drop them a like on Facebook!
Buy Remember the Monsters
BandCamp
“Vigilante” (Official Live Music Video)
Visit FTM on Social Media
Facebook | Twitter
Freak The Mighty is:
Vocals – Josh Hight
Guitars – Ricky Mendoza
Guitars – Macy Mitchell
Bass – Cody Ray
Drums – Kyle Combs
