In 2003, a small five-piece from California named A Static Lullaby released their debut album, …And Don’t Forget To Breathe, on Ferret Records and where one of the first bands to make the “sing-scream” pattern huge. Forget To Breathe was a gateway album for many people, as it was the first album kids heard of this style. As they developed a devout following, they signed to major label Columbia records and released what we would call the sophomore slump. ASL released Faso Latido in 2005 and switched up their style a bit, making their sound more rock-orientated. Needless to say, this blew up in their face; they were dropped by Columbia and were near breaking up. 3 original members – bassist/vocalist Phil Pirrone, drummer Brett Dinovo, and guitarist Nate Lindeman – quit the band to pursue other projects, leaving the other two members, vocalist Joe Brown and guitarist/vocalist Dan Arnold in a tight spot. Instead of retiring A Static Lullaby for good, they recruited three new members – guitarist John Death, bassist Dane Poppin, and drummer Jarrod Alexander – and signed to a new label (Fearless) to release their self-titled third album. Produced by Steve Evetts (Saves The Day, He Is Legend, Lifetime), A Static Lullaby is a return to their roots; Brown’s scream dominates many tracks and the song structures closely follow those of Forget To Breathe. This album is meant to bring back their old fans, which this album succeeds at doing.

Does this band even have fans anymore? A Static Lullaby has returned with their major label debut but sadly nobody seems to care. The disinterest shown by music fans is not unmerited. Faso Latido is an uninspired sophomore album, full of predictable transitions, lackluster energy, and over the top production. The one thing that made A Static Lullaby remotely enjoyable in the first place was the fact that they had a moderate amount of energy. When this energy was manifested, the band truly put forth a good sound. Sadly, this album contains none of it. A Static Lullaby has two vocalists – the singer also drums, and then there’s the screamer who runs around stage awkwardly when he has nothing to do (see Atreyu, Underoath). While those bands have released follow-up albums that utilize all their vocalists, ASL’s sophomore effort does the opposite. A majority of the vocals are now singing only, in fact there are some songs where there is virtually no screaming at all. I’m not condoning or suggesting excessive amounts of screaming by any means, but the entire album lacks life. “Stand Up” is a catchy number that lasts for about 45 seconds before a sharp realization came to me – A Static Lullaby has turned into every other radio screaming band out there. Short verses, predictable choruses that get repeated over and over again for some instant sugar coated bullshit to make listeners happy. Put “Stand Up” on the new Trapt album and I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. The screaming, when used, is as obnoxious as ever. It comes in awkward places and is too intense for the often laid back musicianship. Additionally, the slow chanting/talking into screaming transition can only be used so many times.