Fall of the Leafe - Vantage
Firebox Records FIRECD029 7/12/2005
By Nathan Pearce
Fall of the Leafe is a band that has hovered just under the radar for fans of melodic doom in the vein of Katatonia, Anathema, and Tiamat. Like those three bands Fall of the Leafe has also taken a path from more death/black metal roots to a more user-friendly type of melodic rock/metal. However, Fall of the Leafe has always seemed to elude many fans of the aforementioned bands. This is partly because Fall of the Leafe hasnt done a very good job of distinguishing themselves from the crowd. Thats all about to change, though. With Vantage, Fall of the Leafe has not only stepped onto an even playing field with any other band playing anything similar to them, theyve managed to outdo much of the current flow of melodic rock/metal.
Vantage is a unique album in the world of gothic/doom/melodic metal. It not only conforms to what the fans are looking for, but it also adds a much needed dose of something from the outside. Namely grunge. Dont go running to mommy! Vantage contains the usual guitars and ambience of bands like Katatonia and Anathema, but the vocals add a ruff edge similar to a few of the grunge-era bands. This is not to say, they whine like Kurt Cobain or crone like Eddie Vedder. Tuomas Tuominen simply destroys every other singer in this particular metal sub-genre. In fact, he might destroy every metal vocalist that ever tried his/her hand at clean vocals. His mastery of emotion and dynamics is truly the high point of this album. Thats not to say that his vocals alone can carry the songs. Consequently, the songs happen to be so strong on this album, the brilliance of the vocals might not hit home until several listens through the entire album.
Vantage starts strong with The Freco, and moves through an ebb and flow of mostly mid-tempo songs. Acoustic guitars and keyboards add subtle passages here and there, but heavier guitars seem to carry the album as a whole. While there are several strong points on the album, there really arent any low points. Nothing seems to drag or become stale. Songs contain adequate variation, and they are quite memorable.
If youre into any of the bands Ive mentioned, and youve heard the name Fall of the Leafe thrown around, I urge you to give the band a chance. If youve heard the band in the past, and you just werent impressed, I urge you to give this band another chance. This is a great album to start 2006 with (even though it was officially released in 2005).
8.5/10
Fall of the Leafels Official Website
Firebox Records Official Website
Firebox Records FIRECD029 7/12/2005
By Nathan Pearce
Fall of the Leafe is a band that has hovered just under the radar for fans of melodic doom in the vein of Katatonia, Anathema, and Tiamat. Like those three bands Fall of the Leafe has also taken a path from more death/black metal roots to a more user-friendly type of melodic rock/metal. However, Fall of the Leafe has always seemed to elude many fans of the aforementioned bands. This is partly because Fall of the Leafe hasnt done a very good job of distinguishing themselves from the crowd. Thats all about to change, though. With Vantage, Fall of the Leafe has not only stepped onto an even playing field with any other band playing anything similar to them, theyve managed to outdo much of the current flow of melodic rock/metal.
Vantage is a unique album in the world of gothic/doom/melodic metal. It not only conforms to what the fans are looking for, but it also adds a much needed dose of something from the outside. Namely grunge. Dont go running to mommy! Vantage contains the usual guitars and ambience of bands like Katatonia and Anathema, but the vocals add a ruff edge similar to a few of the grunge-era bands. This is not to say, they whine like Kurt Cobain or crone like Eddie Vedder. Tuomas Tuominen simply destroys every other singer in this particular metal sub-genre. In fact, he might destroy every metal vocalist that ever tried his/her hand at clean vocals. His mastery of emotion and dynamics is truly the high point of this album. Thats not to say that his vocals alone can carry the songs. Consequently, the songs happen to be so strong on this album, the brilliance of the vocals might not hit home until several listens through the entire album.
Vantage starts strong with The Freco, and moves through an ebb and flow of mostly mid-tempo songs. Acoustic guitars and keyboards add subtle passages here and there, but heavier guitars seem to carry the album as a whole. While there are several strong points on the album, there really arent any low points. Nothing seems to drag or become stale. Songs contain adequate variation, and they are quite memorable.
If youre into any of the bands Ive mentioned, and youve heard the name Fall of the Leafe thrown around, I urge you to give the band a chance. If youve heard the band in the past, and you just werent impressed, I urge you to give this band another chance. This is a great album to start 2006 with (even though it was officially released in 2005).
8.5/10
Fall of the Leafels Official Website
Firebox Records Official Website
