The Fallen Within Intoxicated
by Trevor Portz
Staff Writer
Hailing from the home of the Parthenon and the Olympics, Athens-based The Fallen Within have finally, after nearly seven years of work, managed to release their first full-length album. Though less likely to draw worldwide acclaim or throngs of tourists, the six members of The Fallen Within are certainly worthy of a fair bit of praise, as is their debut, the less booze-fueled than it sounds, Intoxicated.
Playing what would perhaps best be described as metalcore, Intoxicated features a fair share of perfectly syncopated, rhythm-tastic riffs, but luckily is much more diverse than standard metalcore. In addition, the tempos, almost across the board, surpass those used by most of their genre-compatriots, keeping the energy level high and adding a dose of technicality, especially from a drum perspective.
Disregarding the rather pointless intro song, “My Vanity,” things truly kick off with the aptly named “Sound of Destruction.” Featuring a very Meshuggah-inspired riff, the song features surprisingly effective, “floaty” keyboards that manage to evade cheesiness and instead serve only to add depth the to song. Following a spectacular, shred-heavy, James Murphy-esque guitar solo, keyboardist Steve More further justifies his position in the band with a key solo that would not have been out of place in a Children of Bodom song. Only the vocals keep the song from causing all out destruction, as they never match the intensity of the backing instrumentation and instead come across as a bit whiney. But we can’t have everything.
“Pain Right Under” strangely flips the script, as in this instance the keyboards come off a bit kitschy, but the vocals are vastly improved (and continue to be throughout the remainder of the album). It also introduces a thrash element, ala Testament, that shows up again in both “Intoxicated” and “Last Breath.”
“I Am Hate” treads some prog/mathcore waters, with a number of changes, off-time bits, and some killer double bass drum work. Unfortunately, some almost-rap vocals in the middle of the track come off as a bit silly, but not enough to ruin the song altogether.
“Extinction” and “Endless Reality” exemplify the metalcore moniker that the band has placed on itself, and both would thrive as singles (assuming there are radio stations willing to play something this anti-pop). Each features a mix of heavy, staccato riffing and melodic, almost sing-along choruses. Of course, the required for-radio editing of Steve Al’s hilarious exclamation of “oh fuck!” in the latter would pilfer from it of one of its best moments.
Intoxicated wraps up with “The Great Fall,” another Meshuggah-heavy epic that stands out because of its lovely acoustic break and decent into closing piano instrumental, “Timeworm.”
All in all, The Fallen Within have produced a technical, melodic, heavy, well-written metal record that is absolutely on par with similar albums coming out by seasoned, well-established bands. The only question is whether or not the band can pull of the pinpoint-precise playing live that they have captured here. In the ever-evolving world of digital recording, it’s become possible to create perfection outside the realm of human ability, thus leaving the live setting as the true proving ground for awe-inspiring bands. Let’s hope that The Fallen Within can rise to the occasion and manage not to fall flat.
Label: Coroner Records
Web: http://www.myspace.com/thefallenwithin
Band Lineup:
Steve Al (vocals)
Gio S (guitars)
Billy (guitars)
John P (bass)
Steve More (keyboards)
Nick G (drums)
Tracks:
1. My Vanity
2. Sound of Destruction
3. Pain Right Under
4. I Am Hate
5. Extinction
6. Endless Reality
7. Intoxicated
8. Last Breath
9. The Great Fall
10. Timeworm
Hardrock Haven rating: 9.1/10