photo credit: weworemasks

It hasn’t been THAT long since I last saw The Faint. Back in November of 2012, the band set out on an anniversary tour for one of their best releases, Danse Macabre. They put on a hell of a show back then, so I would come to expect the same greatness this time around.

The band just released Doom Abuse, their sixth proper studio outing. And here we are, on a full US tour for it. Hit the jump for the review.

[ed note: For some reason, the venue had gotten rid of all photo media and didn’t allow professional cameras. I noticed that there were people in the pit filming video, so it’s possible there’s some type of visuals on the way. But because of that, you’ll have to deal with some mobile photography!]

-grizzly


photo credit: weworemasks

The last time The Faint played Houston was in this exact venue, on a cold night in December of 2006. They were touring off of Wet From Birth with Ratatat, which had been released not that long prior. More importantly: it was a free show sponsored by Camel, and a night that ended with me so drunk I had forgotten I had seen them at all. I knew two things about it though: there were plenty of visual goodies and I danced my ass off.

I’m seven years older, and my regard for their earlier albums haven’t changed. Wet from Birth and Danse Macabre get plenty of rotation for albums as old as they are (and they played a good amount of them this night). Their new album, Doom Abuse, is a pretty engaging post-punk affair, though I haven’t had much time to digest it. What better way to showcase their new chops than with a full-blown show featuring a bulk of the album’s tracks, most of which were spliced between fan favorites like “Your Retro Career Has Melted” or “I Disappear.”

Fink and company are edging out 40 years old, but their stage presence and energy levels wouldn’t tell you that. All of the members danced, shook and shimmied throughout the 90 minute set, torching 20 plus songs and giving everyone in the venue epileptic fits. The lighting was on par with their previous shows. Giant LCD screens, beautiful strobes, all glazed with fog. The band’s sounding tighter than ever, bringing the album’s sounds full circle to the live stage with minimal flaws. The crowd? Late 20 somethings who wanted to spend their Saturday nights at a venue, drinking, dancing and singing along to songs that spanned the past decade.

This tour is just getting started, so be sure to check their tour routing to see if they’re coming to your town.

[SETLIST]

Animal Needs
The Geeks Were Right
Desperate Guys
Mental Radio
Your Retro Career Melted
Victim Convenience
Posed to Death
I Disappear
Evil Voices
Let the Poison Spill From Your Throat
Damage Control
Take Me to the Hospital
Dropkick the Punks
The Conductor
Help in the Head
Dress Code
Agenda Suicide
Scapegoat
Worked Up So Sexual
–
Lesson From the Darkness
Paranoiattack
Glass Danse