Release Date: 15th May 2020
Record Label: Sumerian
For Fans Of: Black Veil Brides / Bring me the Horizon / Bullet for My Valentine / Of Mice and Men
Giving us everything we’ve come to accept and love about the evolution of Asking Alexandria, the boys are back with album number six. Bursting in to douse us in explosive guitars and raucous choruses to ignite an inferno, Like a House on Fire is a compilation of rock heavy belters to bounce your head to and velvety balladesque sing-alongs.
Bear in mind however that if you’ve come to this album straight from 2009’s Stand up and Scream or even 2011’s Reckless and Relentless, you are going to wonder who the hell switched the CD out. This is not a screamo record, Asking Alexandria have well and truly been packing their “stupid fucking whore” bags for a long while now and have been moving into a fine-tuned metallic hard-rock powerhouse which, from the sounds of it, is very much a happy home. This album is a fantastic example of what maturity and figuring your shit out can do for your sound. We know these lads well enough by now to know that this growth in sound has nothing to do with appealing to the radio host, their fuck you attitude throughout the last 11 years, is testament to that.
Like a House on Fire blends effortlessly from 2017’s self-titled album which saw the return of Danny Worsnop’s revered vocals. This record perfectly shows off Worsnop’s vocal range, it’s not only distinctively powerful and edgy. It’s classy, soulful and beautifully complimented by Ben Bruce’s lyrical writing and guitar solos. Five songs in and we get a look at a new depth and vulnerability to his signature gruffness on the softest track, ‘I Don’t Need You’ which treats us to guest vocals from singer/songwriter Grace Grundy who was hand picked by Bruce after hearing her vocals drowning out the cast of Love Island. In contrast, we get the electronic infused ‘Give You Up’ with its gentle remixed style drawing inspiration from the Stepped and Scratched album no doubt.
If you were hoping for more heavy numbers from Like a House on Fire, unfortunately the majority of them have been unleashed in the lead up to this release. Singles such as the anthemic ‘Antisocialist’ and ‘The Violence’ being the stand outs of the whole album. The remainder of the record leaves us with a couple of hidden gems and then mostly softer rock ballads reminiscent of From Death to Destiny’s ‘Hold On’. Depending on your prefered Asking Alexandria era, these tamer songs may need time to grow on you.
For a band who started their music career as young angsty degenerates on the metal scene, they’ve successfully reached their 30’s and are still releasing exciting mosh worthy bangers. Whether they fill a stadium or a small bar, Asking Alexandria have reached a collective headspace where being true to themselves is all that matters. They finally buried the hatchet to deliver some common ground on Like a House on Fire, with differences aside and “the most fun we’ve had since Stand Up and Scream”, Bruce leads us to the belief that this band of self professed brothers are themselves getting on like a house on fire.
Rating: 7/10
Asking Alexandria are due to kick off their UK/European tour off the back of this album in October 2020 with 4 dates on our shores. Tickets on sale at Live Nation.
