Review Summary: Blessthefall put forth a fairly solid effort, but will need a little more power to maintain an interested audience.
Melody is a very important factor within the confines of any band’s career. If no melody can be heard, many listeners will quickly lose interest and discard the album into a collective pile of unimportant nonsense. This is not the case at all with Blessthefall’s premiere album,
His Last Walk. Practically defined by melody, this album thrives to soothe its readers’ ears before disrupting them with guttural screams and seamless breakdowns.
There’s a certain calmness to the album as well, as exemplified in
Guys Like You Make Us Look Bad, in which there is a brief instrumental intermission before erupting into screamed lyrics. Starting out with a heavy riff that leads into intense screams and then clean, crisp vocals is the base of this track before opening up into an even more melodic aspect.
The first single from the album,
Higinia, is an impressive rendition, although it’s under the three-minute mark. This is a prime example of a track which really showcases vocalist Craig Mabbitt’s ability. Beautifully sung vocals gracefully morph into heavy, emotional screams and growls. The guitar work is just as beautiful and heavy, mixing in with the double bass of the drums to create a short, but sweet track.
Could Tell A Love, essentially, is Blessthefall at its best. Containing melodic leads, loud riffs, and tremendous screams, there is hardly a flaw in this song. Mabbitt’s vocals tend to sound a bit whiny at times, but he quickly gains control. A break in the middle of the song in which a single riff is repeated builds up into an explosion of some of Mabbitt’s tightest screams, making for possibly one of the heaviest moments on the album.
Mabbitt’s vocal talent is so intense that it drives most of the songs on this album. His voice is commanding when he screams lyrics as well as soothing when his range is heard during parts that are cleanly sung.
The voice of Mabbitt isn’t without its flaws though. There are times when his singing is strained or simply sounds odd, as if he is struggling to reach certain notes, such as in
Rise Up when he sings a verse in a lower tone than the rest of the album, creating a nasal sound. Although
Rise Up could be characterized by this verse, it is largely memorable with tuneful guitars matching Mabbitt’s voice. A powerful breakdown midway through the song is once again structured by the heavy screams of Mabbitt, leading into a brief, soft instrumental before the chorus is repeated.
With Eyes Wide Shut appears to be a filler track, and although it has a sentimental sound, it is mostly forgettable. Mabbitt exhibits a different style of singing, yet it doesn’t seem to mesh well with Blessthefall’s style.
Sadly, the rest of the album is quite generic. It’s unfortunate that songs often sound very similar to others, making the listener feel like he has heard it already. This degrading factor diminishes the value of the album. Songs flow together almost too well – skipping certain songs after a few seconds of play seem to mesh with other songs on the disc. A bonus acoustic version of
Rise Up is included, displaying a softer side of this song and once again extending Mabbitt’s ability.
This album, overall, is not a failed attempt. While it’s nothing to rush out and buy, there are quite a few redeeming qualities about this band. Blessthefall is trying to find their own sound in a sea of overrated bands, and with a fairly solid first effort, they are well on their way.
