Envy The Fallen

Hoist The Colours EP

Written by: PP on 13/12/2011 04:43:25

Most of you are already aware of this, but in case you aren't, there's a parallel movement brewing in the metalcore/hardcore scene that's comparable to the 'wave' in post-hardcore. It doesn't have a name yet, which is why you don't see it all over the headlines, but it's one that's currently spawning dozens of great bands like The Ghost Inside and More Than Life, and more recently, Envy The Fallen from Newquay, UK. These are bands who are breathing new life into the tired metalcore scene by seamlessly merging it with the breakdown-obsessed hardcore scene, by taking the fist-pumping anthemic shout-alongs from the latter and combining them with tight and technical lead guitars from the former.

The result? It's a style of music too melodic to be hardcore, but too hardcore to be metalcore, one that's often referred to as simply 'melodic hardcore' instead. "Hoist The Colours" EP is an excellent addition to the family of records that's currently seeing one of the fastest rising scenes I've seen since the initial surge of metalcore back in the As I Lay Dying and Killswitch Engage days. Fans of The Ghost Inside, Parkway Drive, and Confession will find much to like here immediately from the opener "Hoist The Colours", a song which opens with brooding instrumentation but quickly breaks out into great, varied guitar riffs with plenty of melody, and epic chant-alongs that can only be described as anthemic. They back this up with inspirational one-liners like "THIS IS A CALL TO ARMS", which are gang-shouted back to the listener for circle pit effect in a live environment.

The vocalist owns one of those thick roars of a scream which is convincing and solid all around, while still being reasonably decipherable so the audience can scream along and find meaning in his delivery. A significant part of Envy The Fallen's success is his in-your-face stance throughout the record, and the way it is contrasted with melodic chant-alongs and punishing breakdowns. He has enough vocal character to carry many of the songs himself, on his best moments delivering a similarly fierce assault as Tim Lambesis. He also has a ton of variety in his range so he avoids the single-tone trap of sounding monotonous and boring, which is the difference between a good vocalist and an average one.

Overall "Hoist The Colours" consists of six tracks. Four of them are great, and the remaining two a little more anonymous. It's a short taster of things to come from this UK unit. Expect them to release a huge, More Than Life / The Ghost Inside-esque impact album in the near future, if this EP is anything to go by.

Download: Hoist The Colours, I Will Prevail, Until Lambs Become Lions
For the fans of: The Ghost Inside, Parkway Drive, Confession, For The Fallen Dreams
Listen: Myspace

Release date 11.09.2011
Self-Released

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