Jonathan D. Hunt-Vocals
Logan Kelly-Guitar
Aaron Nelson-Guitar
Chad M. Fjerstad-Bass
Tim Java-Drums
Dead to Fall is one of the many bands to rise with Victory Records. They have two CDs, Everything I Touch Falls to Pieces and The Phoenix Throne. The Phoenix Throne is their most recent album, and incredible it is.
1. All My Heroes Have Failed Me
This song opens with a heavy yet clear distortion to it. Another guitar joins the music, along with a few screams from Jonathan, and then it picks up and immediately throws you into a heavy song. The lyrics are decent, but nothing great, an example being:
I've got the answer so save your ***ing explanation
This is the last time I'll suffer through your exploitation
Harvest truth and save it for your revelation
I've lost all t rust and I've finally had the realization
2. Womb Portals
This next song does not hold back, and kicks off heavy almost immediately after the first song ends. The guitar riffs are basic yet enjoyable, and the drums really add to the song. Once again, the lyrics are decent but nothing new or exciting, opening the song with:
Cold hands feed us death while war breeds in every breath
It seems like are ways are set
The sacrifices we endure, perfection we pursue
Darkness, nothing pouring through
The guitar seems to pick up towards the end of the song, and then we are thrown into song number three.
3. Smoke & Mirrors
This song opens up with a nice little drum beat and guitar riff, which contains a lot of bends and pinch harmonics. The drumming is very impressive in this song, and actually had about a ten second period in which the drums are all you hear. This song is about a fake society, with the opening lyrics being:
Oh, another face joins the crowd
It's time to impress; time to improve yourself
And then, later on in the song:
Moved onto the next catchy melody, moved onto the next trend
Here's your next catchy melody, so say what you will
Do what you feel you must
Your words just fuel my rage, and fill my heart with disgust
The music gets really heavy towards the end, then stops abruptly.
4. Servant of Sorrow
This song opens up with impressive and wicked sounding guitar riffs. Probably their best so far, and like usual, the drumming delivers. The lyrics seem to improve with this song, with examples such as:
Wandering the great depths
Searching the canyouns for truth
Discovering every darkness
Bringing its ugliness into new light
This is an overall great song, ending with a slow paced beat and throwing us into song 5.
5. Chum Fiesta
This song starts off extremely heavy, but the lyrics aren't too impressive here, opening up screaming:
Crashing flowing swirling
Right from the start
Gnashing ripping bleeding
Quickly tears my flesh apart
The ***ty lyrics are made up for with the drums and guitars to back it off, but this is probably their worse off of the album.
6.Guillotine Dream (Slow Drugs)
This song opens up with a slow, eerie sounding guitar riff, and then is joined by a heavier, solid guitar riff that leads into this song. It's pretty slow paced the entire time. The guitar riffs are great to listen to in this song, especially towards the end. The lyrics improve again, with:
One steop in front of the other, the clock wasting minutes away
Slowing counting the hour that determines my destiny
7. Doomed to Failure
This song starts off with another eerie riff, but it is much faster paced, and then the song picks up it's heaviness, and the great drum riffs come back. The lyrics are pretty good in this one, and they tell a story. A good example of the story in these lyrics would be:
"Now we will find out who truly holds the power"
"I'm waiting for you to relinquish your hold"
"There is no room for us, so you must be destroyed"
"Then I'm afraid this is unavoidable"
The song has a nice little solo in it, and it's probably another one of the better ones of the album.
8. Corpse Collector
Not much to say about this song. It's really just a filler, and there are no vocals in it. The guitars are pretty heavy, and it's enjoyable, but not much can really be said about it.
9. The Reptile Lord
This song puts us back with the vocals, and opens heavily with pretty basic riffs from both the guitars and drums. However, as the song progresses, so does the quality of the music. The lyrics are okay, but somewhat cheesy, an example being:
I am my own God, yet I've never felt this grace
My life won't be the same and I hope you never see this face
Your were right to go
Now the world finally knows
I am the Reptile Lord
10. Death & Rebirth
This is the last song on the album. It opens up in between heavy and slow, but then quickly picks up the pace with nice drum riffs and decent guitar riffs. The lyrics are pretty good in this one, with:
Counting past the final hour
In flame we've been reborn
A pure stronger power
A new oath we have sworn
In the middle of the song, there is a nice, clean piece played on the guitar, and then it erupts into an eerie, orchestrated sound, which in the end is really impressive. A great way to end the album.
Overall, this is a great album, and would recommend it to just about all fans of any type of metal.
Pros:
Impressive guitar and drum riffs
Decent lyrics
Jonathan has a brutal, great sounding scream
Cons:
It could've used a bit of clean singing
No bass can really be heard
