AS LIONS – The Fall
aaamusic | On 11, Feb 2015
Rise To Remain announced their departure from the music scene in January, with Austin Dickinson, Will Homer and Conor O’Keefe continuing together As Lions, in a new metalcore outfit. ‘The Fall’ is the first product of this new arrangement and is a basic lesson in cookie-cutter rock music.
Lead Singer Austin Dickinson stated: “It would be far too easy to release something that ‘treads the water’. We wanted this one out there first because it has that crucial diversity that sets us apart.”
Sadly Dickinson and the rest of the lions have created a track that sinks into old routines, with a disappointingly simple structure and anthemic chorus’ so flooded with cliché you will wonder whether they haven’t simply repackaged some RTR demos.
The single does have some strong moments – the verses are engaging, made up of heavy guitars and a tightly twinned bass guitar and bass drum groove. The start is optimistic, but once the chorus breaks into the same riff as the intro, it becomes clear this is radio bait. Certainly a smart move from a band trying to get themselves as much air time as possible, but not the diverse and brave frontrunner we were promised.
The vocals are clean throughout and compliment the high-pitched chorus guitars. Unfortunately the chanting backing calls, which create the classic anthem sound don’t offer enough in the way of a contrasting dynamic range. Towards the end of the track you will find yourself praying for a metal breakdown, instead we are given a build-up of fat toms and repeated vocal phrasing, making this track certainly one to look out for live, but not the single that’ll start your album countdown.
This is by no means ‘The Fall’ from Rise To Remain, but it isn’t the roaring spectacle that As Lions had us expecting.
