All That Remains

The Fall of Ideals

Written by: AP on 20/08/2006 20:26:44

2006 has been a good year so far for metal. New prospective albums of the year keep on jumping out from behind bushes, and once again I must bow my head in respect. This time it’s to All That Remains, who with their third album, “The Fall of Ideals”, finally commence the breakthrough that they deserve.

“This Darkened Heart”, released in 2004, cast a spotlight on the Massachusetts metalcore quintet and promised this band was worth keeping an eye on. And now those of us who have anxiously awaited the release of their new album are rewarded with the possibly the best metalcore album of the year. While “This Darkened Heart” was already an excellent effort by the band, “The Fall of Ideals” shows just how far this band has come in its eight years of existence. One can only admire the diversity with which Phil Labonte delivers his vocals, being used to the unvarying growling style of the previous two albums. While that element is still present, we can now treat ourselves to clean, melodic choruses, as well as growling fluctuating between the extremes (that is, very high pitched Hatesphere-style screams to very low pitched growling á la I Killed The Prom Queen). This has the effect of making the new songs memorable and introduces the possibility to sing along at concerts.

On the other hand, we have the guitar work, which was already impressive on the first two albums. Mike Martin and Oliver Herbert have clearly developed in guitar mastery, delivering catchy melodies while adhering to the necessary hardcoreness that the genre requires. The band has also clearly placed attention on the production of the album, ensuring that the sound is clearer then ever.

“The Fall of Ideals” is an iconic masterpiece, composed of individual songs that are in themselves tiny masterpieces, which is why I have chosen to review this album as a whole instead of picking out particular songs. The album represents a breakthrough for this quintet and a beacon for other metalcore bands. It stands for the progression of formulaic, hard-to-get-into metalcore into a work of technically amazing complexity.

9

Download: This Calling, Not Alone
For the fans of: As I Lay Dying, I Killed The Prom Queen
Listen: Myspace

Release date 17.07.2006
Prosthetic
Provided by Target ApS

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