Memphis May Fire

Memphis May Fire has cultivated quite the following over the years, and they’ve improved in sound, production and lyrical content with each record. What’s most striking about their latest release, Unconditional, though, is the strikingly worshipful-focused content throughout. While it might not be anything new for MMF, their focus on “the eternal” and the “Creator of the Universe” seems more prominent now than in the band’s history.

A love song in every way, the opener “No Ordinary Love” beckons listeners to try and comprehend the forgiveness and everlasting love of Christ. Deeper, guttural screams abound on a track like “Beneath The Skin,” and adds a new structure and depth to the established hardcore band. The songs on Unconditional venture into the metalcore element more than previous albums, with some of the deeper cuts (“The Answer,” “Pharisees”) being some of the heaviest songs MMF may have ever recorded. The beauty shines forth on the lyrical content, as well as the clean vocals. Matty Mullins has learned a lot from his metal counterparts, and the overall songwriting for the band has improved, telling stories of love, hope and anguish fluently through every cut. Even diving into the ballad-like “Speechless” gives added depth to the band. It’s a true worship song, with lyrics like, “Speechless because you love me at my worst /Today I woke up, falling in love again.” It’d be interesting to hear more guest spots on this record like Matty on For Today’s album, but 11 new MMF cuts won’t make anyone complain, right?