Apparently there's already been a little grumbling from some fans of Funeral For a Friend that a little of the metal edge has been smoothed off on Hours. Certainly drummer Ryan Richards and his howls are less prominent than on their debut, but that isn't to say that this is bubblegum pop all of a sudden.

Riff-heavy opener All The Rage definitely shouldn't worry any fans, as it features all the trademarks of the songs that made FFAF one of 2004's biggest success stories.

Produced by Terry Date, of Pantera and Deftones fame, this certainly isn't a fluffy album, but neither is it all-out heavy metal either, but then again neither was the debut. Come on, it was called Casually Dressed And Deep In Conversation after all!

FFAF have always been one of the more intelligent and emotionally-honest rock bands out there, with poignant lyrics and melodic hooks counter-balancing the heavier extremes of some of the riffs. Top 20 single Streetcar has further enhanced their reputation and rightly so, as it is one of the best things on Hours.

Some of the complaints from fans has centred around the fact that Matt Davies 'sings' (shock! horror!) a bit more on this album, but in all honesty that has to be a positive thing as it gives a lot more creedence to the songs than the stereotypical metal screaming that these fans seem to be missing.

Certainly Roses For The Dead and Hospitality are intense enough without the screams, with the latter employing some real rifferama in there. Drive definitely sounds like it could be a hit single in waiting, as it is much more melodic than what has gone before. While that might irritate some purists, it will delight the hitmakers at Radio 1 and Xfm...

History is another more melodic track and definitely has the potential to become a real anthem for the band: "Archers in your arches, raise your fingers for one salute and bleed this skyline dry. Your history is mine." You can already picture the festival crowds waving their arms in the air for that one and the same can be said for final track Sonny.

With more of an electronic feel than anything they've done before and its "Sing it out for all of us" chant, it's a great album closer for a great album. If this is the sound of a bunch of sell-outs, then it's all the better for it. Selling out rocks!