"We all have fiends living inside ourselves; some are dormant and
hibernating, others are alive and vicious," states front man Adam Harrell.
It is in this spirit that Camilla, Georgia's Chasing Victory has overcome their inner
demons to bring forth their sophomore effort, smashing sonic barriers and
destroying scene obstacles. Originally labeled a screamo outfit with their
heralded debut I Call this Abandonment, Fiends is neither core nor just a futile
exercise in fashion. This is an album that forges its own path, a path of classic
rock influence and rock n' roll pioneering. Heavy and bombastic without
pretension, it is a dynamic balance of brutality and melody.

"The album is very diverse and each song has something that sets it apart from
the rest. We used a lot of cleaner guitar tracks and let the bass and drums drive
the songs to keep from masking everything with thick distortion, which has
become very popular these days. The vocals on the record sound completely
different also. There is a lot more singing and I owe it all to Jeff Buckley and our
producer Nathan Dantzler. Nathan really help me capture a vocal sound that I felt
comfortable with and steered me away from screaming as much."

Relentless, yet tasteful, Fiends is a much-needed diversion from the glut of heavy
music today. It is song-oriented without losing the band's signature riffs. This is
the album that this band needed to make. Muse-like falsettos meet Stone
Temple Pilots-esque chorus lines, and the occasional gang vocal, and Harrell's
dirt-laden growls. The whole of the album is speedy, though diverse enough in
tempo and guitar approach to avoid becoming stale. Consider the track
"Wolves," as attitude-infused as the Wolfmothers of the world and as melodic as
the Foo Fighters. The guitar lines are ambient, and Harrells vocals display great
diversity, with an incessant chorus as the payoff. Another key number is the title
track "Fiends." More straightforward than any other song on the record, it is
easily in the category of melodic radio rock, akin to the AFIs of the universe.

Fiends is rich in imagery, as Harrell and company obviously devoted great effort
to lyricism and concept. Each one-word song title is symbolic of a different
vice/monster ("Zombies," "Barbarians," etc.). In the case of the title track, Harrell
mocks the concept of stardom: I've been feeling kind of sick to my stomach. It's just a
gimmick, but the kids seem to love it. On "Chemicals" he paints vivid pictures of
battles with lust: As long as you refuse to believe in the power of cold showers, you'll
continue to excuse the receiving end of cowards. And on "Carnies," he makes critical
commentary on religious fanaticism: What's the price of admission?...You're building
a circus; a haven to shelter your deepest secrets and your darkest demons. This is a
rare exercise in thought provocation, and destroys most by comparison. Yet, at
the core of the record is a spiritual foundation; the message is, by exposing one's
vices they are disarmed.

"Most of the characters are battling with some kind of addiction, such as sex,
drugs, alcohol, or even arrogance. We want to confront the deepest darkness in
each of us and expose it for what it truly is: an enemy which has no power when
brought into the light."

Through constant touring with a host of industry powerhouses (such as August
Burns Red, The Devil Wears Prada, Project 86, Maylene and the Sons of
Disaster, The Showdown, and Chiodos), as well as appearing on the Vans
warped Tour the last two summers, Chasing Victory has become one of the top
selling artists on the Mono vs. Stereo roster. But, Fiends is in an entirely different
category from their previous material, and should catapult the band into
consideration as an industry elite. This, to match with a live show that has
developed into one of the most captivating around--thanks in no small measure
to their enigmatic and animated front man--and you have the formula for
something special in the months to come.

"We just wanted to make a balls-to-the-wall rock record. I couldn't be happier
with the outcome. These days in music, it's so easy to sing the same two-note
chorus, play the same chuggy riffs, throw it into Pro Tools, and slap it up your
Myspace page before Beethoven has time to roll over in his grave. We
approached everything in the exact opposite way as that last sentence."