Crimson Falls
Ruins 2k5 ()
Wydane przez Self-financedRok wydania 2005Kraj BelgiumNapisał Wouter7
I went into this album not knowing what to expect. To say that I was positively surprised by this Belgian outfit would be an understatement. Crimson Falls brings a technical deathcore hybrid, inspired by the likes of Unearth, The Black Dahlia Murder, Darkest Hour and notably the seminal Swedish genre innovators At the Gates. Things start off with 'When the Blood Becomes Adrenaline', which feels like a track up to the likes of Sepultura or Machine Head in their prime mixed with early At the Gates guitar work. Vocally, Cavalera-era Sepultura, "Chaos AD" in particular, is written all over this track. 'The Lakeside Myth' is a two-piece displaying Crimson Falls various influences, from the metalcore in the first, to At the Gates styled vocal lines and technicality in the latter. Honestly, the first chapter is the most convincing of the two, as vocalist Wim Jacobs has some pissed off hardcore vocals in that, there's tons of groove and a shredding lead towards the end. The second installment is the most hardcore oriented and there's little of interest here. Abundant textbook vocals, riffs and rhythm sections here. 'Book Of Memories' is frankly dead on arrival as it is a piece of cliché ridden shtick. At the Gates were a great and influential metal act, stop pillaging their legacy already. Easily the most bland, horribly mediocre track on this EP. 'Behold the Crimson Falls' then does convincingly the mid-nineties US death metal thing, made popular by acts such as Broken Hope, Morpheus Descends and Incantation. Surprisingly, Crimson Falls feel the need to include fluffy melodies to contrast the sheer brutality. This has a detrimental effect on proceedings and as a result the track doesn't become as brooding or ominous as it was meant to be. A genre like this is meant to be uncompromising, sadistic and hateful - don't candy-coat things pretending we don't know. This track feels quite out of place with the rest of the material. At this point Crimson Falls can go either way, but slipping a US death metal track into an overall technical deathcore package is asking for trouble. Artwork by Sven De Caluwé (Aborted, Leng Tch'e) for Dirge Design isn't the usual gore, but his signature style is very recognizable. Mastered by Ziggy at Zigsound (Illdisposed) in Aarhus, Denmark the record can easily compete with its contemporaries on the scene. Overall, this is a very promising first promo EP.
www.crimsonfalls.com
