Russell HughesEmber Falls – Welcome to Ember Falls (Spinefarm Records)
Genre: Metal
First there was Reckless Love, Crashdiet and Hardcore Superstar, but the next kid off the regional production line has arrived and they’re called Ember Falls.
The Scandenavian country can’t stop producing quality metal acts and Welcome to Ember Falls is the latest album that proves the rock revolution is showing no signs of slowing down.
After a name and lineup change, the Tampere natives have produced an album that is creative yet traditional, modern yet a throwback to the glory days of the genre.
Album opener The Cost of Doing Business slams out of the blocks like a sprinter after a packet of pro plus and immediately introduces the core elements of Ember Falls: face melting guitar, pounding aggression and the odd lyrical flourish.
But don’t be fooling into thinking that’s all the Finnish rockers have in store. This record crosses genres and has more strings to its bow than just straight forward guitar work and aggressive vocals.
They belong to the new legion of metal/hard-rock acts and as a result are creative and brave enough to mix things up as flavours of electro and djent find their way into the album.
If you listen to bands like Hacktivist you’ll know that when it works, it works well and on COE you get a taste of that, while The Lamb Lies Down In Sacrifice is easily one of the best songs on the album. It has absolutely everything that Ember Falls have to offer as it pulls in influences from the likes of Phinehas. It’s catchy, expertly put together and is guaranteed to compel any listener to dust off their air guitar.
With the ability to go aggressive or introduce softer melodies, Welcome to Ember Falls is the perfect example of how metal for the new generation should be written and produced. The golden age of the genre might be over, but there is no reason why bands such as this can’t usher in a new one.
RUSHONROCK RATED: 10/10 White hot
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