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Fair To Midland - Arrows & Anchors



8.3 | 126 votes |
Release date: 11 July 2011
Style: Alternative metal, Progressive metal

Owners:

110 have it
16 want it


01. Heavens To Murgatroyd
02. Whiskey & Ritalin
03. Musical Chairs
04. Uh-Oh
05. Amarillo Sleeps On My Pillow
06. A Loophole In Limbo
07. Typhoid Mary Sends Her Best
08. Short-Haired Tornado
09. The Upset At Bailey Bridge
10. Rikki Tikki Tavi
11. Golden Parachutes
12. Bright Bulbs & Sharp Tools
13. Coppertank Island
14. Three Foolproof Ways To Buy The Farm
15. The Greener Grass
16. Pour The Coal To 'Er [bonus]

Staff review by
Susan
Rating:
N/A
If you like prog, no sorry, if you like any melodic metal then Arrows & Anchors has been waiting for you. Fair To Midland is a band who brings a perfectly large variety of styles, moods, and textures but that's not important. What's important is just how damn good it all is.

Read more ››
published 01.10.2011 | Comments (24)

Found in 29 lists
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Comments

Comments: 19   Visited by: 433 users
01.10.2011 - 06:40
Edmund Fogg

After listening to short haired tornado, I am definetly buying this one.Wow. I can't believe these guys went under my radar for so long. Thank you big fucking time MS!
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You cannot sedate all the things you hate - MM
The Observer is the source of reality - Bloom
God damn it!! What did Diddy didn't do? - Satan
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07.10.2011 - 02:43
Rating: 10
neonxaos

This album completely, utterly blows my mind. If this doesn't make it onto some top list for this year, there is NO justice in this world.
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07.10.2011 - 05:56
Rating: 10
Susan
Smeghead
I'm listening right now for like the 50,000th time. This album is more and more beautiful each time around. And it just warms my heart that so many other people are rocking out and enjoying it as well
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"A life all mine
Is what I choose
At the end of my days"
--The Gathering "A Life All Mine" from Souvenirs
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07.10.2011 - 11:05
Rating: 9
BloodTears
ANA-thema
Written by Susan on 07.10.2011 at 05:56

I'm listening right now for like the 50,000th time. This album is more and more beautiful each time around. And it just warms my heart that so many other people are rocking out and enjoying it as well


Well, thank you for sharing that precious little gem!
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29

Like you could kiss my ass.


My Instagram
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15.10.2011 - 23:02
Rating: 9
mz

Criminally underrated band,Cant blv that they have been playing for more than 10 years and no one have heard anything about them
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Giving my ears a rest from music.
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16.10.2011 - 01:10
JÄY
Metal slave
Not ready for this one yet......gotta get more bored with tradish metal first
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17.10.2011 - 02:40
Evilquince

I don't understand all the fuss about this album. I've never listened to these guys before, but wanted to try them since they got so high on 2011's list. There are some great songs, I can't deny, but others are a bit annoying or just average. Plus I've been in the prog mood lately (after a POS gig), so I could bet I'd like this. Dunno, I'll probably give them another chance later, so I won't rate it yet.
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Some suffer to the point when they grow numb.
Others are so numb they deserve to suffer.
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18.10.2011 - 15:32
Rating: 9
PocketMetal

Great album , I envy these guys ...
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21.10.2011 - 15:53
Rating: 9
Acidjunkie

I generally find progressive metal rather boring - but this album seems to have something special. Yes it's melodic, yes the production is rather smooth, but the songs are full of interesting sounds and ideas. Recommended.
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23.10.2011 - 18:31
Soulhole

There are some records that can be explained, and there are some that need be be listened... this is one of those records. Reminds me of Todd Smiths stuff in DFD and Pokadot Cadaver, which is always a good thing IMO.
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25.10.2011 - 03:52
Rating: 8
The Galactician

Never heard of these guys until this record. Totally impressed! Very original sound, lots of polish, and killer vocals.
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07.11.2011 - 15:10
Rating: 8
malaikat

Nothing special, which is dissapointing after the last album. For me it's an 8 just because I love their style and some parts are quite well-written (mostly intros and some interludes), but that's about it. In some parts they actually sound generic, which I cannot even fathom, bearing in mind the awesomeness of the previous release.
If I was a first time listener, i would probably go with a 6 or 7.
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07.11.2011 - 15:29
Rating: 7
Risto
Wandering Midget
Written by malaikat on 07.11.2011 at 15:10

In some parts they actually sound generic, which I cannot even fathom, bearing in mind the awesomeness of the previous release.

I agree that some songs sound slightly generic but overall I could get into this one better than Fables. It wasn't enough to the point. For me they matured quite a bit with this one.
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07.11.2011 - 15:35
Rating: 8
malaikat

Written by Risto on 07.11.2011 at 15:29

Written by malaikat on 07.11.2011 at 15:10

In some parts they actually sound generic, which I cannot even fathom, bearing in mind the awesomeness of the previous release.

I agree that some songs sound slightly generic but overall I could get into this one better than their debut. There was just too much of those obscure clean interlude guitars which caused it to be less to the point. For me they matured quite a bit with this one.


Yes, I agree that they have matured, and I salute and respect that. It's just that I expected another "insanity all over the place" album, filled with the sort of energy which first releases usually have.
A&A it's not a bad album by any standards, I just prefer the debut more.
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12.11.2011 - 18:44
Rating: 9
silenius

Fuck i can´t stop listening to this album, it´s stuck in my head forever
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30.10.2020 - 22:13
Rating: 9
mz

Fucking underrated after all these years. One of the best alternative metal record ever.
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Giving my ears a rest from music.
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30.10.2020 - 22:44
Rating: 7
Troy Killjoy
perfunctionist
Written by mz on 30.10.2020 at 22:13

Fucking underrated after all these years. One of the best alternative metal record ever.

I think it's unlikely they'll ever follow it up with another album at this point. They lost a close friend not long after this one was released and then went on to promote side projects some of the band members are in. Too bad, because they filled an interesting niche in the alt prog scene that even I could enjoy, despite both genres rarely offering anything I like.
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"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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30.10.2020 - 23:44
Rating: 9
mz

Written by Troy Killjoy on 30.10.2020 at 22:44


I think it's unlikely they'll ever follow it up with another album at this point. They lost a close friend not long after this one was released and then went on to promote side projects some of the band members are in. Too bad, because they filled an interesting niche in the alt prog scene that even I could enjoy, despite both genres rarely offering anything I like.


oh I did not know what happened to them after this release. I honestly did not expect anything at this point given the time that has passed without any new material.
Indeed they had their own niche. kinda like System of a Down gone a bit more adventurous and progy.
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Giving my ears a rest from music.
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16.03.2021 - 22:45
LordFezzington
Lost To Apathy
Just listening to this again - popped up on album shuffle. Still a seriously great record. So many banging songs - "Whiskey & Ritalin", "Musical Chairs", "Uh-Oh", "Short-Haired Tornado", "Coppertank Island" - pretty much every track to be honest.

Can't comprehend this being 10 years old this year. Very sad they weren't able to follow it up.
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"Pay no heed to anyone and do what seems right to yourself." - Franz Kafka, The Trial
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