Album Review by: Jason Beardsley

Artist/Band Name: These Four Walls

Album Name: This Is Not A Future

Label: Independent

Genre: Heavy Rock

Release Date: 24th April 2020

This is the sound of breaking down. Opening track ‘The Sound’ sets the tone of what is to come, as melancholic piano weaves through the heartbroken and softly spoken vocal of singer Steve Gibb.

Eight years since the release of their sophomore album, Living To Write The End, These Four Walls have produced their most compelling, emotive and diverse album yet in This Is Not A Future. Although at times heart breaking, the content of this album appears to come from a deeply personal place and is more relevant than ever in a time of isolation and heightened anxiety. From the second track, ‘Chaos’, the driving riffs and anthemic choruses that These Four Walls are known for explode into life.

Evidently, this is one of the band’s best and most successful singles to date. ‘Chaos’ guides you through the lens of someone breaking down the walls that are keeping them in darkness, struck out and now making a statement that this is not a future for them; the anger that ensues encapsulated in the pulsating intro of the song. Guitarist Gray Vickers, one of the most underrated guitar players in the Southern Hemisphere, shines in one of his greatest songwriting performances to date. Bassist Elliot Burton and drummer Brad Vickers have also come of age on this record and lay the perfect platform to launch off.

‘Bravery’ and ‘Over and Over’ provide a much needed lift of the heart, timely reminders that there is always hope. There’s one particular quote that will stick with this reviewer through a time like this – “It won’t be long until we can see over the mountains ahead, and if we fall we’ll try this all over again.”

These Four Walls, after successfully crowdfunding this album and crushing their targets along the way, have undoubtedly rewarded their fans by writing from a deep and profoundly honest place. This record showcases many new elements and a newfound maturity to the band’s songwriting prowess, perhaps best showcased in the raw and heartfelt tracks ‘Before I’m Gone’ and ‘Nothingland’.

It’s not often these days that albums are made to be listened to from start to finish, but this one is a must. It is perfectly structured, and while each track tells its own story, they ultimately compliment the next. As a listener, This is Not a Future helps you to understand the meaning of life, of heartache and coming of age, and both musically and lyrically, it will help us to be better than we were before.

JASON’S RATING: 5 Stars!

PRE-ORDER ‘THIS IS NOT A FUTURE’ HERE: https://thesefourwalls.bandcamp.com/

Also Available on all Streaming Services

Track-Listing

1. The Sound 

2. Chaos

3. Fire Away 

4. Over and Over 

5. Slow 

6. Before I’m Gone 

7. Knots 

8. Bravery 

9. Silent War 

10. Rock Bottom 

11. White Lies 

12. Strands 

13. Nothingland 

THESE FOUR WALLS BIO:

These Four Walls are a hard rock band born in New Zealand and now based on the Gold Coast of Queensland, Australia. They recently completed recording of their 3rd full length album, This Is Not A Future to be released 24/12/2020. The band have released four singles from the album so far: CHAOS, Fire Away, Over & Over and Bravery, which have clocked a combined 850,000+ streams on Spotify.

The band are well-known in both Australia and New Zealand for their live shows, which are typically tight, heavy and high-powered performances punctuated by powerful melodic vocals from singer Steve Gibb. Their well-earned reputation as a powerhouse live act has earned the band both Australian and New Zealand national tours supporting The Butterfly Effect and support slots for several touring international acts including Disturbed, Nickelback, Seether, P.O.D., Skillet, Fuel, Theory of a Deadman, and Fozzy, as well as top Australian and Kiwi rock acts Karnivool, Dead Letter Circus, Devilskin (National Tour), The Feelers (National Tour) and Blacklistt.

Other Album Credits

Produced by: Luke Palmer, Mixed & Mastered by: Matt Bartlem