Hours | 
| Artist: Funeral For A Friend
Label: Atlantic / Wea
Category: Music
List Price: $13.98
Buy Used: $0.99
You Save: $12.99 (93%)
New (24) Used (27) from $0.99
Rating:  63 reviews
Sales Rank: 34727
Format: Enhanced, Explicit Lyrics
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 62386
UPC: 825646238620
EAN: 0825646238620
ASIN: B0009I7NP8
Release Date: June 14, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
| • | It's All That Rage | | • | Streetcar | | • | Roses for the Dead | | • | Hospitality | | • | Drive | | • | Monsters | | • | History | | • | Recovery | | • | End of Nothing | | • | Alvarez | | • | Sonny |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Album Description
Informed by the full-gale force of hardcore punk and metal, yet infused with a poignant, provacative melodic sensibility, Funeral For A Friend have won fans from both sides of the pond by touring relentlessly and winning fans over one by one. Hours showcases the band's musical abilities and innovation while delivering some of the most tuneful songs of their career.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 58 more reviews...
Completely Underrated October 9, 2005
Kevin (California)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
...and here us fans stand yet again, fallen victim to another dreaded *sell-out* album by a promising band. However, where so many others have failed (ie: A Static Lullaby, Finch, From Autumn to Ashes), Funeral for a Friend has succeeded, barely.
In midst of the many 'Casually Dressed..', et al comparisons, I won't sit here and judge the record paragraph after paragraph for what it isn't, such as "Where's the screaming?!?" -- but rather judge it for what it actually is, I'm being completely unbiased and open-minded to a very different FFAF.
Let's not get ahead of ourselves, 'Hours' lacks a lot of raw energy, but it's transitions are smooth and simple to adjust to. If this record was a debut for any another band, it would've gotten much higher praise than it's already received. The overall beauty of 'Hours' however, is that it's mixed well even though better studio production does tends to destroy the sound of a band, it paid off in this case. Plus, Matt's vocals are perfectly matched this time around, I don't care if he's singing 90% of the time, atleast it's not Coheed material.
Instrumentally there's a noticable slow down, call it a *progression* if you will of catchy riffs, but there was nothing that blew me away in that department..if anything the drumming was still commanding in some parts throughout, I'd say worthy enough of mention.
Another thing I was especially impressed with was the solidity of the individual tracks themselves -- we know it's not the norm (or desired for that matter) from FFAF, but 'Hours' holds its own ground as a very well crafted piece of work. Come on, give these guys more credit than the underrated perspective of utter dissapointment. Not all sell-outs have to be unbearable, and for a UK band to pull off this type of stuff is rare, soak it up.
The strong points surely outweight the weak, demonstrated in (shockingly) more than one or two songs:
- All The Rage (what an opener ought to sound like, I'm sure I stand corrected)
- History
- Drive (whoa, very suprised by how amazing this was)
- Hospitality
- Monsters (solid, probably contends as the best track)
- The End Of Nothing (semi-reminiscent of old FFAF, kinda sorta, may very well be the most aggressive of the album)
- Recovery
I've noticed that people have a hard time accepting what bands put out if it doesn't even come close to their previous work. Run through 'Hours' a couple times and let it grow on you, sticking to intimidating impressions is all too predictable. It's still FFAF, whether you agree or disagree, they made it because they like it, the least we can do is listen and make a total judgment when it's all said and done.
 Unquestionably their best work so far. June 23, 2005
Luke Rounda (Lawrence, KS)
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
This band is from Wales? Could've fooled me the first time I heard them, and I'm probably not alone.
"Hours" finds Funeral for a Friend sacrificing some of their tendency towards me-too sounding, chunky, ham-fisted hardcore guitars plus token cheese curdling hardcore screams in favor of melody and harmony, and I swear, if I see one person declaring "They've sold out!" because of it, I won't be surprised, but that one person will still be an idiot.
The record realizes what I would call perfect balance between technical showmanship and the punk KISS ("Keep It Simple, Stupid") philosophy. Standout tracks like "Red is the New Black" from last year's "Casually Dressed & Deep in Conversation" LP were menacingly aggressive, wielding pared down, punk-flavored rhythm parts juxtaposed with squealing metal lead guitar. "Hours" delivers more of the same but with more varied and unpredictable rhythm guitar, the result being a unique and energized blend of two loud, blood-pumping styles of rock music. "Hours" is the sound of a band possessed, and as you know, that usually sounds pretty good.
The band earn their In Flames merit badges with pummeling onslaughts the likes of "Absence," "Roses for the Dead," and "Alvarez," which feature some very In Flames/Atreyu/Euro metal fingertapping moves to great success. "Absence" in particular is a beautiful nuclear explosion of melodicism, opening with an evolving riff that frankly only the deaf could ignore convincingly. The chorus adds a repeating tapped lead guitar line and the song goes on to wrap things up with a stop-start bridge that actually manages to sound unforced and unique in its own right, before digging the spurs back in for the grand exit.
Track after track of relentless riffage can come off sounding tiring (or even tired, by now) to many. Funeral for a Friend skillfully inject enough variety into these tunes to make one hell of a rollercoaster ride, again striking a balance -- this time between consistency and unpredictability. There are no crazy, off-the-wall, oddball tracks that could be used as lead-off singles (pun intended) here, but the songs don't sound all the same, either. There are also breaks from the overall sheer intensity of "Hours" in bits like the beginning of "Hospitality"; the closer "Sonny," which proves that this band can write a tune which can stand without savage and intemperate use of volume; and the middle-of-the-record break of "Drive On," which proves that Funeral for a Friend's singer is capable of overpowering what was supposed to be a slower song.
Where other recent releases from bands like Armor for Sleep have fallen short in the inspiration department, one listen of "Hours" just might leave you breathless as in the aftermath of a tornado which has left you all ruffled and swept away from the herd.
Here it is: if you're still sitting on the fence as far as this whole "hardcore" thing goes, this might be the band to win you over. For real. And they're Welsh. Don't pass this one up.
The Best FFAF Album January 16, 2006
X LG X (South England)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
This album is by far the best album funeral for a friend have produced so far. Although it has many slower mellow songs on it, it grabs your attention straight away, and the lyrics are more meaningful than previous songs. I love the song juneau, of their old album, but history is coming close to it!
Quite the Opposite January 14, 2006
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Well, I was introduced to Funeral For A Friend through Hours this past summer. I was not a fan of much other than mainstream alternative, or anything rock for that matter. The first time I listened to Hours, I immediatly fell in love with All The Rage. I don't understand why more reviewers don't mention that song as one of their favorites, it's absolutely great. Anyway, the rest of the album grew on me.
After a while, I bought Casually Dressed and Deep in Conversation. And WOW. I could not believe that there could be such an amazing album. In my opinion, CDADIC is MUCH better an album than Hours. It completely blew me away. I love the ENTIRE record.
Looking back at both albums, they are completely different. It's like comparing teenage angst (CDADIC) to matured emotion (Hours). I love anything Funeral For A Friend, but nothing will ever top CDADIC. Now I understand why fans of the previous album were dissapointed. I'm sure that if I hadn't listened to this one first and then been blown away by CDADIC I would feel the same way.
Old fans will absolutely love The End of Nothing though, Matt's vocals are STUNNING and all in all, it's still the Funeral For A Friend sound. So you have to love it.
Worth Hearing for Yourself July 15, 2005
C. Ballard (Springfield Ma)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
After going through a few of the reviews on this site for "Hours", I felt like I had to add my two cents. I can not comprehend how someone who's followed FFAF since the beginning can complain about this record. Its maturity was expected...just look at how different Casually Dressed is to 7 Ways to Scream your Name. With Hours, it sounds like FFOF have learned how to balance melodies with their aggressive style.
I bought Hours the day it came out and I haven't stopped listening to it ever since. On all these other reviews, people seem to just keep whining about how there's "no screaming" and how Matt's (shuddering) s-i-n-g-i-n-g his lyrics. That's absolutely ridiculous, to criticize a band for growing talent.
I'll put it this way...if you love songs like "Juneau" and "Bend Your Arms to Look Like Wings" and "Rookie of the Year", I guaren-damn-tee you you'll love Hours. Let's face it, FFOF is maturing and it's only making them better.
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