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After The Fall

Eradication

Written by: AP on 23/06/2011 15:20:43

After the Fall is a little known melodic hardcore trio from New York, NY, who share their name with an Australian alternative rock band. With energy in abundance and a very pronounced melodic edge, After the Fall wear their influences proudly on their sleeve, drawing inspiration from Comeback Kid on the instrumental side, and No Trigger on the vocal side. The result is a concoction of at times heavy riffs, at times ringing melodies, and Mike Moak's punk influenced singing and shouting, on this latest offering, "Eradication". Opening tracks "Soldiers" and "Ruins" provide a fiery double introduction to the album's energetic drive, and although there are exceptions among the following 12 tracks, which seem only to become shorter and more explosive as the album progresses, there is little by way of difference happening after these.

The title track and "Throgs Neck" do slow things down a notch, but the overall impression formed by the likes of "Stagnation" and "Lifer" is that After the Fall are all about playing songs as fast and frantic as possible, leaving few opportunities for capturing the listener with a recognisable chorus or riff. What "Eradication" does not lack, however, is intensity, which the band happily provides in an overdose. In a live setting, the relentless velocity showcased here would surely go down well, but with songs averaging at 1-and-a-half minutes, the pure listening experience is desperately suffocating: as soon as Mike Moak manages to spit out a vaguely interesting hook, almost invariably the song ends with no further ado and another frantic drum beat takes over backed by standard fare powerchords.

Once the album clocks in at 25 minutes with "New Scotland", I am left both confused and impressed by the chaotic approach of "Eradication". One the one hand, I often hold albums that manage to build and sustain such choking intensity throughout in high regard, but on the other, "Eradication" could do with some restraint and focus on functional songs rather than mere bursts of punk rock madness.

Download: Soldiers, Ruins, Stagnation, New Scotland
For the fans of: Comeback Kid, No Trigger, Our Time Down Here
Listen: Facebook

Release date 12.10.2010
Mightier Than Sword Records