Review Summary: Vivid dreams.
Rock and metal are, unfortunately, pretty much male-dominated genres, but it is my very subjective impression that hardcore scene reeks especially strong of that uber-masculine, “rock out with your cock out,” “boys don’t cry, boys piss through their eyes” attitude. Or, at least, that’s the way it used to be. Things started to change in the last decade or so, especially for brainier, mathy stuff, but also for the more traditional hardcore. There’s Rolo Tomassi, Ithaka, Pupil Slicer, Spiritbox etc. I’m sure some of you could add a couple more names to the list. Granted, they are not all-female crews, and female-fronted metal groups are not exactly unusual, but that’s not the point. The point is that the context is different. This is not Nightwish, where Holopainen can afford to get rid of a singer just because she is pregnant and cannot tour. On the contrary, Rachel Rigby decided to front her own band after years of being a gig promoter for London hardcore scene precisely
because she saw lack of female representation within it. Thus, False Reality was born, and in 2025, the band’s first proper LP “Faded Intentions” was released. The band plays a modern brand of hardcore, quite traditional in some ways, and rather unusual in others. Let’s carefully consider both “traditional” and “unusual” aspects and see where that leads us.
One of the more unusual things is a track named “Intro” that actually has some merit, can stand up on its own as a proper song, and helps you to form your expectations for the whole record. It is a nice, brief and engaging hardcore song that features a barrage of heavy riffs, barely intelligible but passionate shouts delivered by Rachel Rigby, and some more melodic guitar licks towards the end to ward off the monotony. There you go. I’ve just described the whole album for you, or at least most of it. Now, let’s get into the details.
Indeed, there’s no shortage of excellent, thick hardcore riffage throughout the album, supported by the ferocious rhythm section. You get an occasional glimpse of melody here and there, and a good helping of thrashy solo sections, but the band rarely takes their foot off the gas pedal. Listening to these riffs, I get a clear mental image of a mass of huge boulders rolling down a mountain, hitting each other as they go and breaking apart under the relentless impact. Rachel also doesn’t let up, although there are very few instances of semi-clean singing, but most of the time she delivers a classic, unhinged hardcore performance. If I had to draw a comparison, she sounds like a female version of Tom Araya, perhaps with a hint of Jacob Bannon here and there. In some songs I could very clearly imagine Tom stepping in and fitting like a glow. Still, good riffs and Slayer comparisons are like the traditional foundation of modern hardcore. The more surprising aspect is the lyrics. They are not shallow socio-political drivel characteristic for the genre, and they are actually good, save for a couple of clunky phrases and one or two instances of hackneyed rhyming like “voice-choice.” Rachel is focused on her personal matters, and her lyrics are both original and relatable.
Going back to the music, the most notable instance of the band’s switching the gears and trying something else than a hyper-speed assault of riffs comes in the middle of the album. Semi-ballad “Sonder” is not mushy or romantic at all. Instead, even before another avalanche of riffs comes in the second half of the song, it sounds downright tortured.
Tortured.
When I’m old and I’m gray
When I still feel your pain
Will you even remember my name?
The following song “Out of Time” is one more interesting example of deviation from the main course. Its guitar melodies bring to mind Slayer again, specifically their more sinister stuff like “Dead Skin Mask.” Still, like I said before, most of the time the band sticks to those big riffs, intense vocals, and rapid soloing. Which I do not hold against them. The album’s lean runtime of 35 minutes keeps you from getting bored or tired, and some of the songs in the second half are just as good as the opening selection of tracks. My personal favorite is “Cost of Spite,” on which Rachel cranks the intensity up to eleven, intent more than ever to scream her lungs out.
The one significant issue that I have is my persistent feeling that False Reality is capable of much more. Rachel could bring some diversity in her singing, and the whole band can and should get
weirder. That is what I would like to hear on their future records. For now, we have a clear and worthwhile statement of intent. One day, crafty and reasonable women will come to rule the world instead of hysterical geriatric men-children. When that happens, the world will be saved and will become safer. Until then, I am happy to see women steadily and persistently claiming their place in the ridiculously masculine world of hardcore. Heavy dark clouds covered the sky when I started writing this review, but they’ve been gradually dispersing, and now that I’m done, the sky is clear and blue. The future belongs to women, if there is any future at all.
