Music Review // The Terrible Fates "The Terrible Fates"

https://heylisten.bandcamp.com/album/the-terrible-fates

It is a good day because The Terrible Fates have released their self-titled album.  For those who know, this album will bring much comfort but for those who don't there is an adventure to be had.  The Terrible Fates sing music which might have been most heard in medieval times but they also do so about video games, including The Legend of Zelda.   Bringing more attention to the fact that Zelda is the princess is never a bad thing.

With an introduction of a first track we go into that acoustic rock which has vocals being traded off on "A Letter to My Brother".   This is really what I think of when I think of folk rock, but most of what I think of in regards to folk music comes from the movie "A Mighty Wind", so there is also that.   Like Tenacious D before them, The Terrible Fates have a powerful sound that is sure to grab the attention of all in the land.

"An Open Sail" has more of a sea shanty vibe to it and I always tend to forget that in medieval times boat travel was a big thing so it kind of made a lot more people pirates than they wanted to be.   (Long before Jerry Seinfeld ever claimed to not want to be a pirate)  "The Thrill of the Fall" is about overcoming your fear of falling and whether it be in life or video games, it is important to know that it isn't about the mistakes we make (or the fall) but how we pick ourselves back up from them.

In some ways these songs remind me of Weird Al but I've also been influenced by a lot of Dr Demento lately.  With their melodies, there is also this sense of storytelling within the lyrics and that also makes me think of Billy Joel, which seems to be a much more serious comparison but I can't ever seem to escape "Piano Man".   "The Silent Hero" may very well be the anthem of this entire album, but each song brings something unique to the table.

Songs released as singles prior to the album release such as "Aim for the Eye" and "Cut 'em in Three" can be found on this album as well.  "Cut 'em in Three" closes out the album and that seems important because it's a big counting and sing-along song.  But by this point in the album, you should be comfortable enough to do so and thus it makes sense for this to be the grand finale.  Every other song you can come to sing along with eventually as well, but "Cut 'em in Three" might be the one you have the most fun doing so.

It might seem strange that these songs have a specific genre to them, as they can cater to both the medieval/folk crowd but also video game nerds, but if you're not into tabletop games which involve rolling dice it's okay!  These songs can still provide you with a lot of fun and they just flat out rock.   Maybe they'll open your eyes to new worlds of wonder and excitement via the lyrics, but if you don't, it's still a good time to press play and cut loose.