More about: Asking Alexandria

North Yorkshire band Asking Alexandria are acclaimed for their raucousness and screaming tension, but on a new venture Like A House On Fire, the act have toned it down a few notches. This tweak, however, doesn’t dampen the record or place it deeply under prior contributions, as it stands alone as a personal fight for a clean mind and supreme future. Musically it keeps up with the guitar trickery and full-bodied lyrics, and it all leaves a lasting impression.

And this outfit hurt and sting. Throughout their tenure, they have produced albums that ultimately channel emotion and the pain they feel brushing against them. They’re an act not casually letting us know about ordeals or hardships, they want us to know fully that they have seen unbridled snapshots. Like A House On Fire also leans on these feelings as well as mental instability. When the lyrics spike, they’re sharp and insightful, and lead singer Danny Worsnop, sings freely about his woes and vivid dreams.

Artistically solid and lyrically lucid, Like A House On Fire could be the band’s best work. It seeks attention, like a stubborn child, it knows it’s good, like a grade A student. And this may be an audacious statement, a hypothetical thought, but the band have created here a monumental push for reason, a shove for sincerity. Fans who fall in love with this record, may be subjected to frowning faces and ridicule, but bands have to change, they have to elevate and sharpen their musical ability.

Like A House On Fire is the sixth album from Asking Alexandria. The title song begins the record. It is loud, unapologetic, and the guitar presence intensifies. ‘They Don’t Want What We Want (And They Don’t Care)’ shows lyrical ingenuity. Worsnop sings about being locked in his own mind. The chorus in an infectious blast and everyone is crippled by panic. ‘Antisocialist' starts with a subtle embrace. The soft vocals emerge slowly until the flamboyant chorus bursts through. Instrumentally sound, it leans on technical guitar parts and thunderous drumbeats. ‘Here’s To Starting Over’ is a subtle track that is balanced well. Worsnop’s vocals shine here. ‘In My Blood’ is a story fuelled contribution full of visions and compromised hope. It is a poetic masterclass.

Asking Alexandria’s most subtle album is significant. The growls aren’t as apparent, but the melody is there to behold. They’re still kings of their own destiny and are a relevant unit of musicians who speak the truth. 

Like A House On Fire is released on 15 May 2020 via Sumerian Records.

More about: Asking Alexandria