Folly

Folly: Insanity LaterInsanity Later (2004)
Triple Crown Records

Reviewer Rating: 3.5

Contributed by: pwfanaticpwfanatic
(others by this writer | submit your own)
Published on April 27th 2004When I first heard about New Jersey's Folly, I was told that their music is two parts mosh, one part skank. For the most part, that is true about the genre bending songs on their newest release "Insanity Later." However, to say they are one-third ska is a gross overstatement. For the most part,.

When I first heard about New Jersey's Folly, I was told that their music is two parts mosh, one part skank. For the most part, that is true about the genre bending songs on their newest release "Insanity Later." However, to say they are one-third ska is a gross overstatement.

For the most part, Folly is a hardcore band that occasionally breaks down into a more hardcore punk element. Little blips of ska are thrown in to mix it up and in the end it usually sounds pretty good. Take the first song "Please Don't Shoot the Piano Player He's Doing the Best He Can." It explodes from the speakers and listening to it is as pleasant as getting beat to death by a bag of bricks…but in a good way. A little ways into the song, Folly makes the transition into the ska sound, and they pull it off perfectly considering the jump they have to make. A brilliant aspect of their music is that most of the time, just because it's a ska sound doesn't mean that there are happy vocals to go along with it. The screaming persists and this is a good thing (sort of) in my eyes as nothing is cooler than a hideous scream to accompany music that is too light for it.

I put the sort of in there because my main argument with Folly is the vocals. His shriek can be a bit overbearing sometimes as it sounds like he is constantly being murdered and this is his last dying shriek, over and over again. Sometimes, like on the track "Repeat, I Repeat, Repeat" the horribleness of the scream gets exemplified on their ska sections. So it is cool in the sense that it is a screaming ska, but a better scream would be better.

That aside, Folly have some great musical work as they transition from the various genres they employ to make their music what it is. Sometimes, like on "Serenity Now!" they use guitar work that goes straight from a brutal pounding along typical of hardcore to an eerie harmony consistent with most metalcore groups, yet they blend the two perfectly. Granted, it is not much of a jump to make, but the jump is invisible because the switch is so seamless. On the last track "Weak and the Wounded" they flash between ska and hardcore punk and hardcore so fast it is mind-boggling.

In the end, "Insanity Later" is a very solid album and very innovative in the world of hardcore. Aside from the less than stellar vocals, the only other thing bad thing with the album is the length. Where as I normally complain about the standard 20 minute efforts from most bands, Folly churns out over 40 minutes worth of material here, but with many of the songs clocking in at over four minutes, it can be a bit much and the song looses it punch because it drags on so long. Other than those two things, I highly recommend the album to all hardcore fans.

Login to rate this album

People who liked this also liked:

Please login or register to post comments.What are the benefits of having a Punknews.org account?

Share your opinion by posting comments on the stories that interest you
Rate music and bands and help shape the weekly top ten
Let Punknews.org use your ratings to help you find bands and albums you might like
Customize features on the site to get the news the way you want.

Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not respon sible for them in any way. Seriously.

Anonymous (April 18, 2005)

i love this cd
-Leah Leah
DucksOnTheMoon- aim

Anonymous (January 25, 2005)

one more comment.... sounds nothing like at the drive-in vocals... how in the fuck did you come up with that?

Anonymous (January 25, 2005)

100

Anonymous (January 25, 2005)

i dont hear what you hear buddy..idk..it might just be me or the tens of fans...but these vocals kick

Anonymous (January 25, 2005)

i dont hear what you hear buddy..idk..it might just be me or the tens of fans...but these vocals kick

Anonymous (December 16, 2004)

Insanity Later is a good album for somebody who likes some aspects of the hardcore genre, but can get tired of the constant screaming/breakdowns. personally i find the ska riffs in folly's songs refreshing. I agree that they could certainly benifit from more complex riffs. There are really no amazing guitar solos just some good ideas. Drumming is quite impressive though.

Anonymous (October 6, 2004)

Great CD, awesome act live, really nice guys. Buy this CD.

Conduit (May 23, 2004)

"ok i think i must have got a different record than the rest of you because this is BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD metalcore with the cheesiest most gimmicky bad upstroke part. note i said upstroke PART. the same bad bridge in every song. the album sucks. and his vocals? don't get me started. the only person who can sound like cedric from atdi is cedric from atdi. so stop trying to rip him off. it didn't sound good when bazil did it! it didn't sound good when s.t.u.n. did it! it sure as hell doesnt sound good when folly does it. This album, reviewer and everyone else who posted good things about this record all collectively suck the big one....."

If only he sounded ANYTHING like Cedric from At The Drive-In, you fucking retard. This band is fucking brilliant and you probably didn't even listen to the entire record.

Anonymous (May 14, 2004)

The mix between two extremes combines into one huge sweaty mass of fun and horror. Didn't ever picture something like this to ever be recorded. A timeless collection, a break from the terrible generics of all genres explored. The "ska" parts remind me of a suicide machine / thumper influence, but they are unlike any "upstrokes" i have ever heard. the segments of beat-down metalcore are quick, in and out, and never redundant. as far as the separate fragments of music go, personally i love when they play with the slow, trippy melodic guitar melodies. should be taken completely serious, and as far as a debut album from young kids goes, i see an excellent future ahead for them.

Anonymous (May 9, 2004)

To be honest, the album disappointed me a little bit after listening to newer songs. I mean it kicked ass and is one of my favorite albums but just a little disappointing but your wrong about the scream it kicks ass.

Anonymous (May 8, 2004)

Folly has been around longer than any of you have owned a CD burner, so fuck off with the "gimmick" bullshit.
Love Folly, listen to The Banner.
PEACE.

Anonymous (May 3, 2004)

a billion ernies is an excellent band name.

PS- I'm a fucking tool.

Anonymous (May 2, 2004)

a billion ernies are from my town. they have a show coming up on the 7th. they were better when the played straight up ska, though.

darkstarm (May 2, 2004)

There's this band called "A Billion Ernies," they've got the Screamo-Ska thing down perfectly. Dunno about these guys, guess I'll check it ou.

Anonymous (April 30, 2004)

Link 80 pwns all in the ska-core department. These guys aren't bad though, but the guys got a weird as hell "singing" voice in the ska parts, and, for reasons completely unknown, reminds me of the dude from mephiskapheles, yet he really doesn't sound like him at all... very odd... this gets a 6 for confusing me now...

-c22

Anonymous (April 29, 2004)

Someone told me about this band about a year ago. Metalcore ska = bad idea regardless. Upstrokes are something you shouldn't be taught to play on guitar unless you promise not to use it too often.

Stupidest name ever, this band sucks. Get a better schtick.

Anonymous (April 29, 2004)

this cd is really good.

Anonymous (April 29, 2004)

ok i think i must have got a different record than the rest of you because this is BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD metalcore with the cheesiest most gimmicky bad upstroke part. note i said upstroke PART. the same bad bridge in every song. the album sucks. and his vocals? don't get me started. the only person who can sound like cedric from atdi is cedric from atdi. so stop trying to rip him off. it didn't sound good when bazil did it! it didn't sound good when s.t.u.n. did it! it sure as hell doesnt sound good when folly does it. This album, reviewer and everyone else who posted good things about this record all collectively suck the big one.....

Anonymous (April 29, 2004)

i just wanted to thank that anonymous man who told us to go to www.punknews.org

thanks man, that shit is TIGHT!! DAAAAAAAAMMMNNNN!

maverick (April 29, 2004)

Wow, can't believe I missed that "Breaking Insanity" error when I proofread this...

Fixed.

-Scott

Anonymous (April 28, 2004)

www.punknews.org

sites tite...go to it.

pwfanatic (April 28, 2004)

hey, yeah, where did i get "breaking insanity" from....at least i am not consistent is giving it the wrong name.

Anonymous (April 28, 2004)

stab it before it chokes you.

Anonymous (April 28, 2004)

my penis just came out of my boxer hole