Customer Reviews

The Phoenix Throne

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Dead To Fall's third album is, from what I've read, a departure of sorts for the band. This being the first entire album I've heard by the band, I am only able to judge this disc on its own merits. From what I hear of this album, I'm a little impressed. While the exact style of thrashy hardcore isn't my style, they do it well enough for me to pay attention. Hatebreed style vocals aside, let's talk about what I DO enjoy about this album:

The riffs and solos! Thirty seconds into "Womb Portals" the first of many brutal/evil riffs is dropped. After listening to the album, this still may be my favorite riff on the disc! Like their label mates in Between the Buried and Me, Dead to Fall have a knack for excellent lead and solo work. "Guillotine Dream" has a dark atmospheric section with brooding eerie lead work on top while "Smoke and Mirrors" has a great solo that reminds me of something Chris Poland would have done as an outtake from Rust in Peace. The vocal style can grate on you if you're used to a singer with some diversity, but if you can deal with straight ahead guttural growls and you enjoy metal, you'll find something to like on here. This is the style band I feel the genre needs more of.

The one piece that I was interested in hearing prior to listening to the record was "Death and Rebirth." With orchestration and choral arrangements by Michael Romeo of Symphony X fame I was interested to see what they did with this song. I would say it reminds me of almost every other track on the album that has a middle section that involves keyboards. The solo, of course, has an excellent tone and shapes up to be another excellent addition to the album--but overall, Michael's contribution is pretty much unnecessary.

One flaw with the disc? The songs feel like they drag a little too much. Some of the tracks go on a little longer than they should. I would think by their third album they would know when to end a song; but that is my chief complaint. I prefer when a band like this sets a mood, than gets out before you have time to think too much about it. They dwell a little too long on some songs. The music itself is pretty damn solid thrash metal infused hardcore. I suggest giving it a listen but only if you can track a few entire songs down, focus on the solos and the lead work. I like where this band is headed!

For fans of: Remembering Never, Between the Buried and Me, Ligeia

Anyone who says this bands has not made any improvement is obviously not listening very closely. The new material is VERY different than the old material, and in my opinion, WAY better. Gone is the swedish metal worship intinged with breakdowns, and present is the new, almost progressive sounding Dead to Fall. They describe their genre now as "Progressive Thrash", and overall, I would have to agree. I hear a LOT of people complaining about the change in sound, as I did at first too. However, give the record some time, and it just may grow on you, as it did me. The guitars here are really strong, with lots of oddball, but VERY interesting riffs and progressions. The drums are stronger than ever, with the drummer finally able to stretch out to his full ability. The new music is less straightforward, and as a result, the drummer really gets to shine here. Vocalist Jon Hunt finally recorded an album that I personally think most accurately reflects what his vocals sound like live. In my opinion, this is a very good thing, as I dislike when a vocalist sounds one way recorded, and completely different live. Overall, I think this is a magnificent album, and although very different, I think it is very good!

This album was OK, but most songs sound the same. I couldn't tell what track I was on, same thing like the band As I Lay Dying. I hate that about heavy metal, you just sometimes can't tell what track you are on. Other then that, it's pretty good. Songs are pretty long, like "Guillotine Dream (Slow Drugs)", which is 6:15, but kind of a boring song. They should try to play shorter songs, more guitar solo's, and try to use clean vocals. my favorite tracks are "Reptile Lord", "All My Heroes Have Failed Me", "Smoke And Mirrors", "Doomed To Failure", and "Chum Fiesta". The drumming was great! "All My Heroes Have Failed Me" was the best song, also another song with guitar solo. "Death And Rebirth" was a good song, but it started to get a little soft around 2:55. And the music video for "Chum Fiesta" was werid. Also, check out the band Inhale Exhale!

this is a great cd the pinches are awsome and the rythem is crazy. A good technical cd and some really cool rifs. the song doomed to failure is awsome and the guitar is badass.

I truley don't understand why so many people hate this. I have been a fan of Dead to Falll since the beginning and I couldn't wait to get it. Yes, its different but I think it's still great. There are more gitar solos, the drummings great, and the vocals improved alot. I think it is a great album and this band is also great live.

either you're deaf or you're one of the kids john is talking about in "Smoke & Mirrors". This band has improved EXPONENTIALLY. The musicianship, the songwriting, hell, even the heaviness. They've always been good when it came to the mosh, but they've always lacked when it came to musicianship and decent real metal riffs. The new record delivers on almost every single front. The only complaint I have is that it's a bit slow, but if you like metal, and you like breakdowns, pick up this record.

I will start this out by saying that when i purchased this album, it was my first by DtF. I honestly did not know what to expect when the disc started spinning. I listen to alot of Black Metal and the first thing i heard was Black Metal riffing. I was instantly hooked by this album. The guitar work on this album is a unique as it is crushing. This band may have started out playing the proto-typical Metal/Hardcore style of metal, this disc is no where near that style. I don't know how to label this band, so i am not going to. They play some serious, evil, face-melting metal on this disc. Maybe i was drawn in because of the Black Metal riffs being played, but i consider this one of my all time favorite albums. If you enjoy solid, well played, extreme metal, this album is for you.

I picked this album up on a whim, so I am new to this band...that having been said, I found much to like in this album, and I am definately interested in hearing what follows. In the recent glut of metal and metal-related bands flooding the market, this band has a lot to offer, and a very progressive and interesting style.

Some of the complexity and weirdness of some of the post-metal bands is bridged by a classic death metal vocal sensibility, challenging and complex time signatures and intricate riffing, and an artistic approach to songwriting. This is the only work of Dead To Fall which I am familiar with; so I am certainly not an expert fan. I did, however, find a lot going on, including interesting atmopherics and guitar, ambiguous lyrics and some great album artwork. Metal bands these days (especially in the crowded so-called "metalcore" scene, which is usually what people label these guys as)really need to find a signature sound which sets them apart as original or at least be extremely good at the specific sub-genre of music they are involved in. Dead To Fall has impressed me quite a bit with the maturity and intensity of this album, an have created a pretty unique style that would be difficult to pull off. Recommended.

this album is a wicked good piece put together by Dead to Fall. I think its cool when a metal band puts instrumentals on their albums just so you can focus on the music, and they do have one on this album. The album and cover art is also very intricate. i would recommend this album to any metal/metalcore/death metal fans

I really enjoy the music of Dead To Fall. True, you can certainly consider them a metalcore band, with its hardcore influences and Swedish influences, but they're a band that can execute the two style perfectly without sounding polished or like a churned out replica.

Now, onto the album. This is their worst work that they have done, but it's not the worst thing I've ever heard. It seems the band got a tad bit sloppier in their songs, like "Chum Fiesta", thus I can't give it a 5. However, "All My Heroes Have Failed Me" is an addicting track that sounds different from the band's previous works. Other tracks, like "Womb Portals" and "Smoke and Mirror", well, I like them, but they somewhat have a rushed feeling to them. However, I can tolerate it and listen to it, and I'm a respectable and open minded music fan. It's certainly not a classic by any means, but there's worse out there. Believe me.