Review Summary: A lazy and shoehorned re-recording session rushed for the sole purpose of making extra money for the label.
NOTE: This review is only for the re-recorded tracks of the “Limitless” EP and not the original “Fallout” album.
Rise Records seems to love pushing out low quality re-releases to boost sales, and given the circumstances surrounding this recording it’s not hard to see why quite a large amount of people were disappointed. Crown the Empire was only given nine days by their label to completely re-record their popular EP “Limitless.” They didn’t even have enough time to finish all of the tracks and as such, had to leave one of the tracks from the original EP the same without any alteration “Lead Me Out of the Dark.” The Fallout: Deluxe Reissue is a blatantly lethargic re-recording of multiple fan favorites that don’t even come close to the quality of the original.
Possibly the most disappointing thing on these tracks noticeable right off the bat is Andy Leo’s clean vocal performance. While almost all of the songs on “The Fallout” saw him giving soaring vocal performances and putting a lot of emotion into his voice, on these reissues he rarely leaves one octave and sounds almost painfully monotone throughout the entire performance. It’s the most apparent on the re-recording of “Voices” and “The Glass Elevator (Walls).” He occasionally has some shining moments, but it’s buried in a sea of mediocrity. Unlike on the original EP, Crown the Empire has David Escamilla as a screamer and this is a notable improvement as Dave’s screams are far more powerful and crisp than Andy’s ever were; they’re probably the only truly good addition when it comes to the quality of these re-recorded songs. Dave’s performance is still not up to par unfortunately as even he sounds monotonous compared to his usual work.
So the vocals aren’t up to scratch, what about the instrumentation? Well rest assured it’s a disappointment here too. The instrumentals have remained exactly the same, just produced in a very Sturgis-esque wall of sound fashion. This style may have worked for “The Fallout” but it doesn’t work here. Along with this, the colorful electronic work from the original EP has been toned down here to give the instrumentals a more front and center approach. These songs were written to have the electronics and the vocals are the forefront, attempting to change this in the mix was what brought these songs down even further. Without the synthesizer soundscapes in the picture, this re-issue only has occasional performance quality moments by Dave and the admittedly bland instrumental arrangements from the rest of the band.
In short, this re-issue was an absolute disaster. Only nine days recording time, all of the best aspects of the original EP have either been completely removed or watered down, and the feelings of absolute lethargy from the vocalists are just a few of the problems that plague this terrible release. Hopefully Crown the Empire’s upcoming second album will be on par with “The Fallout” or above and not disappoint like these shoddily recorded wastes.
The Best: “Lead Me Out of the Dark”, “Wake Me Up.”
The Worst: “Voices”, “Jonny Ringo”, “The Glass Elevator.”
