Bless The Fallen

As of recently Crash Music, Inc signed Metalcore band based out of New York, many people are starting to wonder about the band by the name of Bless the Fallen. This EP although lacking their third guitarist, sets all doubts aside. "So Dark the Crown of Man" is an upbeat, fast-paced Metal/Hardcore mixed album, built up of clever harmonies, gang vocals, fast paced drumming and a high sounding production quality. Although this EP will not be released through Crash Music, Inc., that's not to say that this EP will be any worse than what's to come from this band.

Opening the EP, is the track "Albright" this track opens with a quick sound byte and then a breakdown, with fast paced double bass pattern. As the song progresses, it revisits the breakdown a couple times, followed by catchy powerchord patterns and vocal build ups. As the final breakdown builds up with gang vocals, the lyrics chant on over and over "Through the Glass I see your Eyes". After the music cuts out and the vocals end the song, "In Search of Words" picks back up with a catchy tapping pattern backed by a rhythm built of short powerchord variations. After this fades out, Bless the Fallen, jump into a quick blasting beat on the drums, followed by a breakdown with true harmonics in between. After jumping back into the same blasting sound, the guitars follow a different pattern, that almost seems fitting for a rock band. This part adds an extra quality to the band, helping them achieve a more well-rounded sound. During the following breakdown, the little solo-like riff reappears again before blasting back into the faster tempo instated earlier in the song. As the guitars build up for the last breakdown, the vocals take charge and then are cleverly backed by harmonized tapping for the songs end. "The Hunt" follows, the same general pattern as the previous songs, except with variations in the riffs. By now, listeners have noticed that Bless the Fallen is a high-voltage, exciting and intense metal/hardcore band, that builds their songs off of catchy harmonies and intoxicating breakdowns, and if by this point in time they're still not on the edge of their seats, the breakdown at the end of this song will unknowingly toss them right out of their chairs.

"The Fall of an Empire: The Prince" opens up with a very fast guitarmony before hopping into yet another one of Bless the Fallen's catchy guitar beats. At the 1:25 mark Bless the Fallen bring in a breakdown built of dissonant chord arrangements and in your face vocals. Although dissonant chords aren't at the top of my list in musical arrangements, Bless the Fallen have seemed to pull it off just fine. As the song continues on, the tempo drops and the song turns into a big build up to the following breakdown. At the end of this track, the song jumps into a brief interlude, with clean guitar and vocals, backed by easy going drums, and then back into electric to end the track. To finish out this EP "Sever the Ties" comes blasting in with a simple guitar melody backed by a thunderous drumline. The first breakdown in this track is built off of various arrangements of chugging, lower toned vocals, and a fast double kick pattern. Around the 2:48 mark of this song, a brief riff pops up, almost replicating one of Funeral For A Friend's riffs, but it's short-live and soon forgotten. Towards the end of the song, there is a keyboard interlude, the gives listeners a short break before jumping back into a highly catchy build up led by a melodic sounding guitar pattern. After the track seems to be over, dissonant chords ring back in, for one final breakdown to end the EP off right.
This EP is just the start of what there is to come for Bless the Fallen. Already they've added another guitarist and have just recently signed to Crash Music, Inc. (40 Below Summer, Abysmal Dawn). With a breakdown oriented song-writing pattern, also based around catchy harmonies, one can only imagine how this band's live show is. Be on the lookout for this band in early 2007.

~ Drew English
September 25 2006 - Skylinepress.net