Review Summary: Where chaos and functionality collide
Falling in Reverse, (better known at this point as Ronnie’s Modern Life), is no stranger to unusual circumstances; the band regularly visited the vocalist Ronnie Radke in prison to practice material for their first album, Ronnie’s microphone stand incident resulted in a permanent moratorium on any metal related music at Six Flags, and their on and off continual beef with genre mates “Escape the Fate” have caused them quite a stir in the music scene. So what does the band have to offer with their sophomore effort? Without a doubt, this is the most ambitious move that Falling in Reverse have pulled off in their musical career so far. “Fashionably Late” is an amalgamation of the band’s multiple influences spewed energetically into musical format without a filter; providing for a solid yet wildly inconsistent thrill ride.
The most bombastic, and surprising inclusion to the band’s sound change would be Ronnie’s sudden decision to start rapping in multiple songs; it’s slightly unexpected, but given that two of his biggest influences are Tupac and Eminem it’s not that surprising that he would pull a move like this. At the best of times; his commanding flow and emotionally charged delivery are front and center, such as in the song “It’s Over When It’s Over.” At the worst of times; he sounds like a boastful suburb teenager free-styling after his best friend forever since seventh grade said he’s the next Riff Raff, such as in the awkward mash up of a song “Alone.” Luckily, he’s more often consistently entertaining in a positive manner rather than the other way around. He’s got decent speed and control on his side, as evidenced in the verses after the second chorus in both “Rolling Stone”, and “Self-Destruct Personality.” His confidence and egotism are used to great effect here as well, as this adds extra impact to his delivery. Ronnie’s singing hasn’t changed one bit; his sarcastic vocal inflection is still in your face and his hooks still lodge themselves firmly into your brain like a parasite. He’s always stayed within his comfort zone, only venturing out of his mid-range in various moments throughout the album; this really isn’t a problem because Ronnie’s vocal tone is the most enjoyable within his comfort zone. It is notable however that the track “Keep Holding On” has arguably his best vocal performance since his days in Escape the Fate as he showcases a very capable falsetto, and his voice soars throughout the rest of the track.
The only real disappointment to be found in the vocal department is the severe downgrade in the quality of his harsh vocals. He’s developed an unnatural rasp, and his intensity has all but deteriorated with the exception of a few select moments. His past skill and tone make brief shining moments; he can jump into his higher register and deliver a strong scream, such as on one of the breakdowns in “Champion” and in the intro of “Self-Destruct Personality.” Sadly, he’s nowhere near consistent enough; he constantly dips into his lower range, and attempts to produce some lethargic sounding gutturals that take away from the overall atmosphere. The majority of this album is filled with clean performances and rap verses so luckily this can be overlooked, as the screams only permeate a few of the tracks.
The lyricism is the most polarizing aspect about this album. As expected it’s mostly about Ronnie and his personal relationships similar to the first album, although since then his lyrical topics have expanded. Though still not at the levels of wit he showcased on Escape the Fate’s debut in the past, there are still multiple memorable passages to be found here. Whether they are remembered for comedy, or for being serious and introspective completely depends on the song. The ego-driven side we’ve come to detest in his writing actually takes a much needed step back here barring over the top rambunctious tracks such as “Alone.” Instead of acting out and playing the blame game, he poses questions about himself that he just can’t answer at this point in time; this shows that he’s ready to start looking at himself with more sincerity and take small sips of the humble juice.
Why do I leave a trail of destruction in my path?
”I thought I had myself all figured out
But I spent my whole life holding myself down
And it seems to be that sort of thing I keep doing constantly
Addicted to the pain I cause myself”
- Keep Holding On
Where do I stand in terms of what I believe?
“I wear my heart up on my sleeve so my soul's exposed.
And I carry this disease, the weight of the holy ghost.
God, can you hear me? God is missing.”
- It’s Over When It’s Over
Am I just like my mother, who deserted us?
”I surrender,
Curse my mother's soul.
I still miss her,
No matter where I go.
It's time for me to pack my bags, I will always be alone.
The only thing I've ever known, is a broken home.”
- Drifter
If he can finally climb the last few hurdles needed to control his anger and his brash, impulsive nature, he could hone in on moments like these and create a fully consistent album lyrically; however, before that happens, Ronnie has to finally face his fears, and learn to forgive, but never forget. There’s still some raw anger from his past left over in tracks like “Self-Destruct Personality”, but they’re overall far more toned down from previous works.
The instrumentals are a whole different story and vary crazily from song to song. The most common style of instrumental on the album are upbeat synthesizer arrangements, blended with catchy guitar, groovy bass lines, and solid drum work. The most technical track on the album is “Born to Lead”, which draws influence from Dragonforce thanks to its fast guitar work; there’s even a nifty little bass solo before the lead kicks in. The only truly consistent aspect of this release instrumentally is infectious guitar leads, and Jacky Vincent knows his way across the fret board; while this comes as no surprise due to the guitarist’s innate talents, what’s rather shocking is how competent and audible the bass player is. Post-Hardcore has an unfortunate reputation for lacking audible bass, and this album breaks that stereotype in spades; the production actually emphasizes it over the guitar in certain songs, and allows it to give multiple tracks a needed sense of identity, such as during the pre-chorus of “It’s Over When It’s Over.” The drums are well executed throughout; with a hefty bushel of nice fills, well timed double bass, and various other standout moments where it helps keep the pacing of the songs in check. The electronic work is more up front than in previous releases and varies throughout the album; from the 8-bit samples of “Game Over”, to the airy and bouncy synth work in “Bad Girls Club”, there’s always something different to enjoy; even if its placement adds a little bit of a cliché to some of the tracks.
Falling in Reverse is still trying to find their signature sound, and decided to throw all their cards on the table for their second effort. Reactions on either end of the spectrum are all fully justified; when you get down to the construction of the music itself, you’ll find that almost every song on here is well written, with the exception of a few rogue musical choices (such as the triple breakdown barrage after the admittedly cool solo in "Born to Lead.”) At this point, we can only hope that Falling in Reverse takes the best aspects of this album and puts it into their future releases.
