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The
first thing that pops to my head as I listen to the
third effort from majestic Massachusetts’ quartet
Forever’s Fallen Grace is that in this day and age is
very easy to get a good sound without many resources.
Then, a question arises; why is it that a band three
recordings deep into their careers can’t get a decent sound? It’s
a problem. It is a big, big problem. Especially when you
are edging a grand sound that reeks of epic ideas and
vast arrangements. Because such approach should be matched by an
appropriate professional sound. Frankly, it’s almost
tragic.
But we can’t
blame it all on the production, the lack of focus or the absence
of a mapped out plan. (Herald of Twilight was produced by
the band and George Lopez (hopefully not the comedian) by the
way, just in case we want to point fingers.) Yeah, the drums
sound like someone is hitting a desk. And when the kick drum is
smashed it's almost like you just
punched the cookie monster in the gut. To top it off, keyboardist Kevin Blakley must be a happy man, because his Casio-sounding
instrument has more presence than any other instrument and when
that happens doom metal stops being lush and starts being
ridiculous.
The band’s
at fault here. I mean, who remembers that horrible black metal
band Ancient? They were signed to Metal Blade for a while. Maybe
they still are. I don’t know. But if you want to have a sure
laugh, you must check out some of their earlier videos. The
problem Ancient had is the same problem Forever’s Fallen Grace
has. They have an ambition that largely outsmarts their
resources and maybe even their talent.
Because
frankly, the songs on Herald of Twilight are pretty
shitty. Sorry to say it that bluntly, but this is a very poorly
written record where the tunes drag to no end through soft
melodies, flat lines and uneventful peaks and valleys. It's like
a joke without a punchline.
Soundwise, it's just obsessive and maddening. It’s like someone was fucking around with the
volume knobs. At times the guitars go all the way up, then
suddenly the keyboards shoot up absurdly and make everything a bit
of a joke. Then come the vocals, whatever they may be this
minute; a deep growl, an operatic female or a normal dude that
sounds very karaoke-like. To be fair, the guitars are
played well. Axeman Ken McKee needs two things; get some
taste and join a better band. He can play and is the only good
thing about this record.
Herald of Twilight is a very eloquent record, unfortunately
in this case, that doesn't add up to anything good. Quite the
contrary.
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