Five Iron Frenzy

Item: The End Is Here
Author: Sarah Verno

The End Is Here

(2003)

Reviewed by Sarah Verno

Discogs Apple Music

Label 5 Minute WalkThe Phantom Tollbooth2004

alternative rock punk ska ska punk

For Five Iron fans everywhere, The End Is Here is a must have. This album is more than a live version of Five Iron's last show ever, more than the band sharing humorous jokes and more than songs about blue combs and new hopes. The End Is Here reaches down into the core of Five Iron Frenzy and reveals the heart of the band during their final hours. I was one of almost 4,000 fans (yes, it was sold out) who had the opportunity to experience the concert first-hand, and though I don't think it's possible to replicate such a highly emotional and overall amazing concert onto a compatible CD, I must say they were successful in capturing the essence of FIF during their last show ever.

One could view The End Is Here as a "Best of Five Iron Frenzy" CD. The play list is a collection of the best songs from previous albums, including everything from "Canada" and "Blue Comb '78" to more recent songs such as "Cannonball" and "American Kryptonite." Though the song choices may make this CD great, the intensity from the band and the live crowd are what makes this album phenomenal. The energy from the fans is incredible and I'm really pleased they didn't edit out all of the screaming for each song. For those of you who have experienced a FIF concert, you know that the fans never stop screaming and will yell and cheer for minutes at a time. At the end, the fans start chanting "Thank you, thank you" and at one point, a fan even prays aloud, thanking God for FIF and their impact on our generation and generations to come. Though the vocals are not top-quality towards the end of the album, Reese manages to reveal something more important than great vocals and the right tones--passion. Five Iron lived on passion. They loved their fans, they loved playing shows and, above all, they loved Jesus Christ. This CD successfully reveals the passion so many others fail to grasp.

Though the album is well put together and sounds great for a live performance, I was disappointed to find that the editors cut out parts of the concert I found to be very significant for Five Iron as well as their fans. For example, Reese made a heart-wrenching speech before playing "Every New Day" that explained the significance behind the song that has ended every FIF show they've ever played. I thought that speech showed so much of what FIF is all about and would have been perfect to leave on the CD for long time fans and new listeners alike.

Eight years of playing hundreds of shows, meeting thousands of fans, and writing unique songs with unique sounds were all embraced in one final show. The End Is Here takes the prize as one of the best albums ever produced by Five Iron Frenzy, so if you haven't already purchased this CD, go buy it today.

5 tocks