When a band's biggest claim to fame is its appearance on The Real World Austin, there is definite reason to be apprehensive about what their album will actually sound like. Fortunately, on The Inevitability of a Strange World, Halifax shows that they are more than a bunch of pretty boys who party like rock stars. They also rock like rock stars.
Post-hardcore with a Bit of Hairspray
Inevitability is a collection of riff-heavy arena rock anthems that blend post-punk hardcore with hard rock influences, a la Motley Crue.
The Motley Crue influence is especially apparent on "Our Revolution", one of the best songs on the album and definitely the most fun. With its hairspray-infused guitar riff and screaming chorus of "Hell yeah!", it inspires you to pump your fist in the air without a hint of self-deprecation or sarcasm.
The album continues to impress when Halifax draws heavily on the driving hard rock influences. Tracks like "Under Fire" and "I Told You So" bring the rock almost as heavily as "Our Revolution".
The album suffers from a bit of filler, tracks like "A Tint of Rain" and "Such a Terrible Trend" simply don't have the intensity of the rest of the album. While there's nothing wrong with slowing things down occasionally, these songs aren't a drastic enough change, and end up simply paling in comparison to stronger tracks on the album.
Lyrically, Inevitability is a bit of contradiction. The lyrics are well-written and delivered correctly. They also focus more on heavier themes, like in the anti-cocaine anthem "Snow in Hollywood", when vocalist Mike Hunau sings "I'm a victim, not an addict and I hope I can shake it". It's lyrics like this, as well as their delivery that help the album hit even harder.
Maybe your guilty pleasure is occasionally rocking out to Motley Crue, or perhaps you have a few Megadeth albums under your bed that you don't tell your friends about. If that's true, feel free to blare The Inevitability of a Strange World, and feel justified in pumping your fist while rocking out without shame.
