6. Fever Hunting The band begins the second half of the album with their best complete composition so far. The songwriting is what truly shines on the title track, seeing the band weave through varied and interesting parts and transitions, wielding expert control over tempo and rhythmic changes. They know exactly when to let a note or chord ring out, drawing the listener into the next section of the song and when to abruptly mute a cymbal and surge off in a new direction. The song shifts into an extended build up during the bridge section, creating a wide dynamic contrast that the band masterfully exploits during the thrashing outro. The guitars blast louder and the drums crash harder because of the quiet that came before. It's an impressive display of superior songwriting and a great transition into the album's more experimental second half.
7. Dark Water That experimentation begins right from the beginning of song seven, "Dark Water." The song starts with a swung eighth note rhythm played on the bass. It's an ear-catching moment and strange to hear an off-beat rhythm from a band that plays so straight and on the beat at almost all other times. After the drums and guitars join in, another strange element is heard: reverb on Jeff Eaton's vocals. These two elements combine with an unsettling minor key composition to create a deliciously sinister and snarling track that seems to revel in its darkness, embracing the muck that the slithering creatures of the night prowl within. The song is a delightful, experimental outlier, creating a mood unique to the band's back catalogue up to this point.
8. Brothers In Arms Forever Fever Hunting takes a small step backwards on "Brothers In Arms Forever," giving the listener one too many plodding mid-tempo songs. "Brothers In Arms Forever" suffers from bland songwriting, sluggish tempo and a lack of unique, interesting features. The one bright spot of the song is the snare drum slamming groove of the outro, where Eaton howls the refrain, "We're brothers in arms forever," at the end of each different line. The passion and emotion are still present in this song but a certain indefinable something is missing. Like a swing voter, "Brothers In Arms Forever" is a swing song, its enjoyment entirely dependent on the listener's mood at the moment it begins.
9. Currency Modern Life Is War provide another impressive display of songwriting mastery on song nine, "Currency." At first, "Currency" sounds to be yet another lethargic, mid-tempo song but as it progresses it truly impresses with its interesting compositional variation. Once the driving, urgent chorus arrives halfway through, the true impact of the song is realized. Eaton's vocal performance has a little more energy and a little more fire behind it than before. The listener soon learns why, when Eaton shouts a line that should be framed and placed on the wall of the band's practice space as a mission statement. "I want to know what you bled for / when no one was watching, when no one would listen / passion was the currency when no check was written." It's a line that defines the entire mentality of the band. By its end, "Currency" reveals itself to be a covert, late album gem and another highlight of the album.