The Hardcore scene in the UK is strong and creative and there are a lot of bands putting their stamp on the genre. Here’s Envy The Fallen from Cornwall with their debut EP.
Not living anywhere near their native Cornwall, I’d not heard of this band before. Within seconds of listening to “Host The Colours”, they’d captured my interest. In common with good bands, they take the hardcore as a base, use their imagination and make something of it. The start of “The Brave One” grabs the attention immediately and signals that there’s something of quality on offer. The punitive drum work and angry vocals provide the hardcore undercurrent but this is melodic and thoughtful. The riffage is colourful and there’s a real groove about it.
Good Hardcore gets you going, and all 5 tracks on this 23 minute work do just that. The resident anger is there on the second track “Hoist The Colours” but clear thought has gone into it. The drum is again like a battering ram as a potent riff runs through. There’s excitement in the music, which could never be accused of being static. It speeds up, the lads sing a chorus and then it brightens up as if the sun has come out on a breezy day. But it doesn’t end there. Not frightened to use but not overuse effects, the band impose a stuttering sound. None of this would work without tight musicianship, and it is. The guitar work in particular is great and takes us away. After slowing down and momentarily threatening melancholic Post Metal, the superb “Hoist The Colours” ends in more trademark fast and punkish mode. A lot happens in 4 mins 13 seconds. This is Hardcore with more twists and turns than your average roller coaster.
“This is Not Goodbye” is not as versatile as “Hoist The Colours” but then that would be hard. Nevertheless it’s fast, mobile and melodic with plenty of anger and triggers. Changes of pace reappear on the anthemic “I Will Prevail”. The boys chant, it’s punkish but as Envy The Fallen sweep you along, they also stop and challenge you with their music. “I Will Prevail” and the fast and melodic “Until Lambs are Lions” are breathtaking and even with the pace changes, the ambiance remains lively. Hardcore is one of those genres where interest is created by thinking outside the box, and again Envy The Fallen come up trumps with the final, appropriately-titled track “The Ending”. More measured in pace than its breathtaking predecessors, the power comes from the pumping beat and screams which complement the rising guitar which itself engenders a sense of drama and finality. It doesn’t end at that though as a sample and keyboard section are used to good effect before it ends suddenly. This lot don’t follow convention and their music is all the better for it.
I wish there was more. “Hoist the Colours” is quite special. Fresh and bright, Envy The Fallen show they can reach out and engage their audience with their energy, a host of great ideas, excellent timing and technical control. I look forward to hearing more of their work in future. This is a great little album.
http://www.myspace.com/envythefallenband
http://www.facebook.com/envythefallen
Andrew Doherty
MTUK HOME
