Finch, ‘Back to Oblivion’ – Album Review

After coming off a massive 10-year anniversary tour of their most celebrated Drive-Thru Records LP, 'What It Is to Burn,' Finch are back with 'Back to Oblivion.' Nearly a decade later, the record is packed full of the intensity that fans so badly missed during the band's hiatus.

When compared to Finch's former material, the 12-track album seems to be a healthy mix of 'What It Is to Burn' and 'Say Hello to Sunshine' -- with the intro and title track, 'Back to Oblivion,' really exploring their roots; it's a catchy, rocking declaration of their return.

And a strong one at that -- one that was much needed after a failed attempt at an album in 2008, prior to their breakup.

The second track and their lead single, 'Anywhere But Here,' was one of the first tunes fans heard before the album's release. At first, you say to yourself, "Where's that 'What It Is to Burn' sound that we all loved and cherished?" But after a few listens, you realize that they only matured on a sound they harnessed 10 years ago -- and it's great.

Then, you're hit with 'Further From the Few,' a fierce, head-bopping, joyride of a song -- complete with the savage screams of lead singer Nate Barcalow. The next songs, 'Murder Me' and 'Picasso Trigger,' have similar vibes to them and serve as melodic centerpieces for the album. They both seem like anthems of sort -- one for love and one for drinking.

Save for the title-track, 'Play Dead' is one of the best songs on the record and feels like the band was finally collaborating again in such a harmonious way. The song builds up big and then crashes, only to come back for an epic finish. 'Two Guns to the Temple' is the band's second single and it's reminiscent of 2003's 'Worms of the Earth' -- the track they did for Tom Delonge's Atticus' 'Dragging The Lake II' compilation.

The album rounds out nicely toward the end with 'The Great Divide,' 'Us vs. Them,' 'Tarot,' 'Inferium' and 'New Wave.' The latter is a great, gentle ride as the album fades out. It's definitely an atypical song for the band ... but we mean that in a good way.

If you haven't given it a spin yet, we advise you do so with an open mind. After hearing 'Back to Oblivion,' we're pretty confident Finch still have it.