Welcome to the Masquerade

Personnel: Trevor McNevan (vocals, guitar, keyboards); Pete Stewart (guitar); Chris Carmichael (strings); Aaron Sprinkle (keyboards); Steven Augustine (drums).
Audio Mixer: Randy Staub .
Recording information: Seattle, WA; Stringnoize Drum Room, Hamilton, Ontario; Teerawk Music Publishing, Brentwood, TN; The Drawing Room, Windsor, Ontario.
Editor: Matt Carter .
Photographers: David Molnar; Jerad Knudson.
On 2009's WELCOME TO THE MASQUERADE, the trio that put the "rawk" in rawkfist gives no hint of the rap element that once defined its sound, fueling the evidence that the guys from Toronto have fully morphed into one of the decade's powerhouse modern rock outfits. Thousand Foot Krutch have moved on, climbing new heights of pure rock which, it would seem, the band was always destined to reach. Indeed, the band's full-scale audio assault makes it difficult to imagine that it could ever top the crystal-clear production and deliberate crunch of MASQUERADE. Each track is propelled by muscular riffs, fighting their way into permanent memory alongside the greatest mainstream rock bands of the decade. The fist-pumping anthem "Fire It Up" was already featured in video games and movie trailers by the time the album dropped. Other pure doses of adrenaline like "E for Extinction" and "Bring Me to Life" are fast and forceful. And the aptly titled "Forward Motion" finds TFK at their most futuristic, with an almost emo-like efficiency. WELCOME TO THE MASQUERADE is modern rock in its element and a sign that this band has no intentions of slowing down after 15 years together.