Flaw Continue Comeback Climb With Brutally Beautiful Vol IV: Because of the Brave

Flaw has always been a hard band to pin down. Emerging during the fall of the Nu in 2001 with Through the Eyes, the band stood out by incorporating groove into their Metal more akin to Down or Lamb Of God to an extent rather than Korn. Flaw disbanded soon after Endangered Species dropped in 2004 but vocalist Chris Volz persevered and, after delivering solid albums with both Five.Bolt.Main and later Volz, returned in full force with Flaw 2.0 and the subsequent comeback album, Divided We Fall.

If Divided We Fall was their comeback album with something to prove after the hiatus then consider Vol IV: Because of the Brave their X2: X-Men United as this album, from start to finish, is a no holds barred beast that urges listeners to know the backstory going in and if you don’t? Just hold on tight because it’s about to be one helluva bumpy, and hard rawkin’, ride!

From the moment “Persistence” kicks off it’s like Flaw incarnate being shoved into your earholes with the dual riff attack of Rob Buttorff and Tommy Gibbons creating a gigantic wall of rumbling noise as Volz brings equal parts melody and mayhem with his vocal delivery. “Walk The Line” is modern Flaw at its’ absolute best: loud, crunchy, treading styles and moods with ease while also creating an instant heavy hitting classic.

“Because Of The Brave” from the get go is a veritable nu school anthem with Volz taking the roll of both drill sergeant and therapist, offering words of encouragement while also pushing through obstacles with his vicious bark while “Everything” is just a cool ass song, hearkening back to the more moody pieces from Endangered Species and Through the Eyes.

“Prayer For The Lost” is a short, sweet ditty with Georges Octobous’ pummeling out in full leading into “On Your Feet” and a steady groove with Volz’s lyrical flow shining as the song drifts into another huge chorus and easily one of the biggest breakdowns Flaw has ever laid to the tape.

Closing out Vol IV, “Lest We Forget” is a bulging, burgeoning spoken word conclusion that brings to mind the cacophonous combination of sounds of Machine Head’s “Real Eyes, Realize, Real Lies” but maintains a subtle intensity and even an inherent sense of wonder and a kind of mysticism instead of the paranoia of the MH track.

Vol IV: Because of the Brave will be unleashed through Pavement Entertainment on July 19th. For pre-orders, head here and here. For more on Flaw, including upcoming live dates, head here or here.