CONDITIONS hail from Richmond, Virginia (USA) and have released an album titled “Full of War,” which, according to the band, represents a step out of the safe harbor of well-produced and well-crafted but ultimately interchangeable rock music.
The band places great importance on lyrics with depth. They want to provoke thought and encourage listeners to make their own decisions through their songs. For CONDITIONS, life is a series of many decisions that are not always harmonious but often require confrontations. The album title can thus be seen as a metaphor. Personally, I wouldn’t classify confrontations associated with a certain struggle as war, but undeniably, some decisions resemble trench battles.
CONDITIONS play appealing, melodic rock music with influences from melodic punk, a touch of skate punk, and emo.
The eleven songs are all demanding, very melodic, and catchy in their arrangements. Nevertheless, musically, they remain in the safe harbor of music that can be played on the radio, which could also serve as the soundtrack to a sophisticated high school film. Perhaps an “Arthouse Highschool Movie.” It doesn’t exist yet, dear genre inventors!
These are anthems being played.
It is close to stadium rock.
It is pleasing.
It is not bad.
Lyrically, CONDITIONS are indeed a bit edgier, but that still isn’t enough to give the album the character it needs to stand out from the crowd.
“Full of War” is nice, but nothing more. In life, however, it’s better to be more than just nice to avoid being interchangeable and to leave a mark.
