Funeral for a Friend

Funeral for a Friend is a post-hardcore band from Bridgend, Wales. The band has been around since 2001 now and in that time has recorded a grand total of four studio albums. Before recording first album 'Casually Dressed and Deep in Conversation' in 2003; the band had already previously released two successful EPs. In the early days a far more hardcore sound was put across by the band, a lot more screamo orientated and the music was far more ferocious in its approach. By the time of the first album the band's sound had now been toned down quite considerably - the fierce hardcore attacks of the two EPs were now being replaced with a much more mellow post-hardcore sound.

'Casually Dressed & Deep in Conversation' performed quite well commercially for the band, a couple of singles were released and the band's profile grew greater and more were introduced to the wonderful music of Funeral for a Friend. It would then be another two years before the world was blessed with a second FFAF album; that second album is 'Hours'.

'Hours' was released at a time when the band had not long before headlined the Give It A Name festival at the Alexandra Palace; the band was becoming more popular than ever and another album was just what the world wanted to see. It was going to be difficult to live up to the quality of the first album, the band tried its best however and once pulled through with a fine eleven track album of music.

In 2007 the heat was really on as the band prepared for the release of its third album 'Tales Don't Tell Themselves'; maintaining interest after three albums can sometimes be a very difficult task and FFAF here had to make sure that after this album they could continue to make music for the masses in the career that they all love so dearly; being in a band. This time the album is far more rock heavy, still has its elements of post-hardcore but most definitely provides more of a straight up rock sound than the band had ever before provided. The band had now progressed a long way from its early hardcore sound and its maturity as a unit was now entirely clear for all to see.

That now brings us up to date with where the band are at now; album number four, an album that will be unleashed upon the world on October 13th 2008. The album has been given the title of 'Memory and Humanity', and whilst the band originally only intended to record an EP; they actually found that they had far more material than this, and enough in fact to record their fourth studio album. In the UK the album is to see its release through Join Us Records, in America and Canada through Victory Records, and throughout the rest of the world it will be Roadrunner Records that the album is released through. Expect big things from album number four and most certainly prepare to be impressed.

The following are the five present members of Funeral for a Friend:

- Matt Davies - Vocals
- Kris Coombs-Roberts - Guitar
- Darran Smith - Guitar
- Gav Burrough - Bass, Backing vocals
- Ryan Richards - Drums, Backing vocals