Throw The Fight - What Doesn't Kill Us

When I first heard the Minneapolis based rock band Throw The Fight they had just released their second E.P The Fire Within, and announced that they were replacing the vocalist from that release. They eventually recorded and released a full-length debut, In Pursuit of Tomorrow, which was a strong release with a fair amount of variation from song to song.
Flash forward to the release of the strong demo of Save Me, the even better Bloodshot Eyes, a huge lineup change that saw three original members leave, another single and now their sophomore effort titled What Doesn't Kill Us.
The album starts off on its strongest foot, Bloodshot Eyes, but the new mix of the song makes it more pop and less rock. The original started with a solid Iron Maiden-esque harmony then kicked into gear with a typical (albeit solid) rhythm dominated section. The way the original release was done, it was much heavier and it didn't sound like the vocals were auto tuned, or at least not as much as the album cut. The album cut sounds much like every other pop-punk/rock band out there.Take a listen to the original Bloodshot Eyes (the top video) & the new version (bottom) and you'll see what I mean by "more pop, less rock".


The album then shifts to Not So Hollywood, which is an interesting song in the sense that it sounds like a stereotypical pop single but it ridicules the Hollywood lifestyle in a very well done way, without getting distasteful.
From there the album essentially gets weaker, with many dull attempts at the same old formula of mainstream success, which usually translates to songs that don't survive longer than a couple of weeks.


The biggest disappointment was the song Lifesaver, which is the album version of the demo titled Save Me. The demo was very melodic and quite heavy for the style, but the album cut sounds sped up and much more like an attempt to appease a record company than a the legitimate attempt at a memorable song that the demo was.
As far as the cover song I Just Died In Your Arms, the album cut is decent but ultimately the first live version on YouTube was much more enjoyable.
In general, the album is mediocre at best with nothing really memorable or special. The band seem to have lost their edge since replacing three of their original members. This album is really not something I would suggest for anyone but those who enjoy the simple, repetitive pop-rock/punk with the occasional screams and metalcore style breakdowns. 5/10