Instant Impressions: 'Welcome to the Chaos' by Fame on Fire

After the success of their debut album Levels, the Florida-based quartet Fame on Fire have released their highly anticipated follow-up, Welcome to the Chaos. It’s difficult to compartmentalize the band into a single genre because they have such a broad array of influences, and that variety shines through in both their covers and original compositions. It may be safe to say they’re a heavy alternative rock band at their core, but that doesn’t do them justice – in their music, they’ve incorporated elements from pop, rap, metal, just about everything but country and opera, but they’re still very young in their career and just crazy enough to go there, so it’s just a matter of time. The point I’m trying to get at is Fame on Fire is more focused on creating music that sounds good musically and can resonate with themselves and others lyrically rather than conforming to the pressures of sticking to the confines of a genre, and that alone is worthy of attention.

Fame on Fire came into prominence by releasing rock-oriented covers of pop songs, such as Adele’s ‘Hello’ and Katy Perry’s ‘Unconditionally,’ which led people to believe the group was nothing more than a cover band tailor-made for off-brand “Punk Goes Pop” compilations. The band proved they were much more than that in 2017 when they released their debut EP, Transitions, solely comprised of original songs.

Fame on Fire’s first full-length album, Levels, was released during the peak of the coronavirus pandemic, coming out in September of 2020. The band continues to record cover songs to this day, but they’ve cemented themselves as an original band with their own sound. They’ve also stayed busy on the road, touring as support for genre giants such as Black Veil Brides, Starset, and Motionless in White.

Ahead of the release of Welcome to the Chaos, Fame on Fire have released several singles and have tested them out in their live sets, with some examples being “Cut Throat,” “Plastic Heart,” and “Lost in Doubt.” Each song has a different energy to them, so I’m curious to hear what the rest of the album evokes. Now that the album’s available, it’s time to listen through it and learn what it’s all about. Feel free to listen along and follow my real-time reactions here:

1.     Intro (1:24)

• We love instrumental intros – it’s exactly what the title suggests
• I remember hearing this as the band was walking onto the stage last time I saw them
• Sets up the title track really well

2.     Welcome to the Chaos (3:29)

• I can see why the album was named after this song – the album art and overall vibe from this track fit together perfectly

• I love how big the chorus sounds, but it’s even more effective with how it builds up beforehand *chef’s kiss*

• WE LOVE A SPENCER CHARNAS FEATURE, LET’S GO!

• Not for nothing, but that second verse was lyrically perfect for Spencer to feature, definitely fits with Ice Nine Kills’ overall vibe. Speaking of which, I can’t believe I’ve seen these guys on tour with Ice Nine Kills twice now and Spencer didn’t join them on stage for this song. That has to happen at some point

• This is mainly from a balance/mixing perspective, and I’m only bringing this up because I’m so familiar with both bands – I don’t know if Spencer was also doing screams from 2:25-2:34 and/or 2:46-2:50, but those two sections in particular are perfect places for his trademark low guttural screams

  • I might have to listen through headphones instead of on my laptop, but it sounds like they’re there, however I personally wish they’d be brought out a little more. I think it would’ve made that section of the song that much more powerful and heavy

• Nevertheless, it’s still a banger

3.     Ketamine (2:52)

• I feel like I’ll be saying this for just about every song on the album because that’s just what Fame on Fire’s good at, but this is wicked catchy
• Lyrically, I don’t have any firsthand experience with this kind of subject matter, but just from what I’ve heard from others, this does sound like an accurate description of how antidepressants affect people
• This also might be because I’ve been listening to a ton of Senses Fail lately since their new album came out last week, but this reminds me of them because both bands are pros at taking something serious lyrically and juxtaposing it with upbeat and energetic instrumentals, and this single is a good example of that

4.     Cut Throat (3:07)

• Obviously, I have to finish the album, but I’m pretty confident in saying this is the heaviest song Fame on Fire’s ever written
• To think this was the same band that made the Transitions EP is insane – I love the thought of putting a playlist of their music on shuffle and having this come right after a song like ‘For You’ or ‘Give Me It All’
• What’s great about this song is that while it’s super heavy and aggressive, there’s still a melodic sense to it instead of just sounding like “a bunch of racket,” as the boomers say

5.     Emo Shit (3:15)

• The lyrics are just as blunt as the title, and I mean that in the best way possible. It’s straightforward, to the point, and it works perfectly
• I’ve never listened to Kody Lavigne, but this kind of feature reminds me of the collaboration with Poorstacy on the song ‘HEADSPACE’
• This is the best song for any “Sad Boy Summer” playlist, it couldn’t have come out at a better time

6.     Lost in Doubt (2:37)

• This was one of the first singles for the album and it came out back in March, so I’m very familiar with this song by now
• I’ll be honest, it took me a while to really appreciate and enjoy this song as much as I do now, and I don’t know why it didn’t click with me like this the first time I listened to it
• While the main focus of most songs is typically related to the chorus, I love the verses on this track – there’s something about the staccato synths and the buildup when the guitars and drums kick in during the pre-chorus that gives it this momentum that I just really vibe with
• I’m not the biggest fan of music videos, but I love this one – I think it’s really cool to see all kinds of footage from the band back in the beginning and to the present day. It shows how far they’ve come from where they were, and what’s even cooler is envisioning how much bigger they’ll be in the near future

7.     Robbery (2:35)

• This’ll probably sound really strange, but I get a bit of an 80s hard rock vibe with this song – the first verse and chorus remind me of early Skid Row, and I don’t know how else to explain it
• 1:31-1:42 feels like heist music in a way, fitting enough given the title of the song
• I love how the bridge transitions to the last chorus SEAMLESSLY, and the layered vocals at the end of the last two choruses were a nice touch too

8.     Signs (3:19)

• That intro immediately had me hooked
• I can’t get over how well Fame on Fire builds their songs up little by little, piece by piece – starting the verse with just vocals and soft guitars, then adding backing beats, then the drums and heavy guitars kick in during the pre-chorus. I’m a sucker for that step-by-step approach to songwriting
• The drums and bass are the unsung heroes of this song – in particular, the drums from 1:08-1:20 and the bass from 1:18-1:36 sound awesome

9.     Plastic Heart (3:03)

• This was the very first single for the album, released at the end of January, and I still have yet to get sick of hearing it
• I think what separates this song from other lead singles from other bands is that there’s just so much going on with this track – there’s rapping, there’s screaming, there’s melodic singing, and each section of the song has its own identity while still feeling like a cohesive arrangement

10.  Rotting Away (2:51)

• Love the guitar tone in the first verse
• I thought this was going to be a slower song until the chorus started, but I’m more than okay with how it’s playing out. Digging the synths too
• I wasn’t prepared for 1:56-2:22 AT ALL but that was amazing! Can’t believe I thought this was going to be a slow song
• I can’t say for sure just yet, but this might be my favorite song off the album. It’s up there for sure

11.  Back Then (2:41)

• Can’t get over these guitar tones and layers – I really like the way the guitars and beats work with each other in the intro too
• The outro’s probably my favorite part of the song – the way the last chorus transitions to it, the vocal melody, the driving rhythm section, it’s all great
• That song felt like it just flew by, can’t believe it’s already over (at least it’s not as short as ‘It’s Okay’ was, so there’s that)

12.  Jaded (3:12)

• The production on the vocals during the verse was an interesting choice
• Lyrically, I think we’ve all felt jaded or burnt out at some point in our lives, and this song is a fantastic replication of that feeling from a lyrical standpoint – it comes through instrumentally too, with the verses feeling a little lethargic in comparison to the rest of the song

13.  Dead or Alive (3:44)

• Musically, this is a fitting way to close the album – there’s something about it that feels like it wouldn’t fit anywhere else on the album BUT the end
• Lyrically, it reminds me a lot of ‘Not Dead Yet’ from Levels, and I think a lot of people are able to relate to the thoughts and feelings being sung about here
• Hard to believe that’s already the end of the album, 13 tracks (well, 12 tracks and an intro) went by super fast

Even though Fame on Fire is still very much a young and new band in terms of recording original music with this being only their second album, it’s incredible to hear their growth and maturity as songwriters and musicians from their previous album to this new one. What’s even more impressive about this growth is that there wasn’t a lot of time between albums – with Levels coming out on September 4, 2020 and singles from Welcome to the Chaos being tested live during their shows as early as September of 2021, it makes me wonder how soon the band started writing for the next album or if some songs were written at the same time but didn’t make it onto Levels.

I was very impressed with Levels when I first heard it, and I still listen to it all the time, but everything about this album feels bigger – it’s like they took everything that made Levels good and then turned the dial up for Welcome to the Chaos. While both albums explore some of the same lyrical themes, Welcome to the Chaos feels more musically energetic in a few ways – the heavy songs are heavier, a lot of the songs are faster or more upbeat tempo-wise, and the theme of chaos runs through the album with each song sounding different from each other, along with some songs taking some musical shifts and turns of their own. The only thing missing from this album compared to Levels was a slower song or a ballad, like Levels closer ‘Scars of Love.’ Production-wise, I don’t want to be repetitive but the songs on Welcome to the Chaos sound bigger than Levels, and I don’t know how else to explain it other than that – it feels like a natural step up, and it makes everything about this album feel more impactful.

All in all, Welcome to the Chaos further showcases Fame on Fire’s ability to blend attributes from differing genres to form their own unique sound and demonstrates the advancements they’ve made as songwriters – the choruses are catchier, the breakdowns are heavier, the genre hybridization is more cohesive, and the sound is stronger. The band is in a class of their own because it’s impossible to pin them down to one genre – they simply have an ear for melody and what gets stuck in people’s heads without being worried about what category they fit into. They’re not a rock band, they’re not a pop band, and they’re sure as hell not a cover band – they’re Fame on Fire.

This fall, Fame on Fire will be hitting the road with You Me At Six as support for One Ok Rock from September 19 to October 20. Now as a selfish fan, I don’t know who their tour manager is, but I need these guys to come back to the Myrtle Beach/Jacksonville, NC area soon because along with them just putting on a good show, I really want to hear some of these new songs live. I highly recommend going to their shows if they’re playing near you, you won’t be disappointed.

Back to the album, I’m sure my choices will change with each listen, but my top 3 standout tracks after the first listen are:

-       Welcome to the Chaos

-       Emo Shit

-       Rotting Away

If you listened along and also enjoyed the album, you can buy Welcome to the Chaos here.

To keep up with the band’s tour dates and buy their merch, click here.

Thanks for reading! If you liked this article and want to keep up with more from me, feel free to subscribe