Downfall Rising - EP
Downfall Rising - EP Review
Self Titled
2013
Self-published
5 tracks
English lyrics
Texas-based Downfall Rising are masters of contrast (as suggested by their name). Each of their songs includes fascinating juxtapositions of calm and fury, light and dark. They are also very good at buildups; most of their songs lure the listener with a caress before unleashing a sonic rage. And then they go back and do it again.
Downfall Rising is also a young band eager to find a wider audience. They apparently have set stages on fire in their home region and are now looking to play farther afield. They have also released a self-published EP, produced by Grammy winner Bil Vorndick, which is now available on iTunes and Amazon mp3.
The EP contains five songs, all good. Vocalist Rachel Peloquin is impressive, delivering powerful vocals in many styles. She is reminiscent of Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale, but with even more variety and a harsher edge. (Incidentally, Lzzy has been pictured on Facebook with Downfall Rising’s CD. I’m not surprised that Lzzy would like the band, and suspect most Halestorm fans would too.) The remaining members of Downfall Rising (guitarists Aaron Hillin and Greg Wenrich, bassist Stephen Rushing and drummer Tyler Lewing) are also very good, delivering polished performances that convey a wide range of emotions.
Track by track, the EP opens with “Dosage.” The first two minutes are a showcase of Rachel’s vocal prowess. Her voice goes from simmering whisper to high falsetto, from sweet innocence to fierce growling, from deep and husky to soaring and Maiden-like. Meanwhile, the band delivers prominent bass notes like Tool, crunchy riffs, and some melodic guitar. The lyrics of “Dosage” are also intriguing, suggesting an epic quest and story of rebirth:
Lay me down tonight
Bring your fire and show yourself
Give your dosage
Bring it close in
To awaken what lies within...
There’s something that awaits
There’s something in the way
There’s something that awaits
There’s something in the way
Bring your fire, heaven’s rain
Awaken me before it’s too late
There’s something that awaits
There’s something in the way
With my blood and my tears and my affliction
You grant me hope with pure intention
With one glimpse into your reflection
You've become my soul’s obsession
I was chosen and not forgotten
I will arise to open up these eyes
Next up is “Misery,” essentially a modernized power ballad that starts with crunchy galloping riffs, followed by a gentle voice and then an anthem-like bridge. Next comes a counterpoint guitar melody before the song returns to gentle vocals and guitar, some sweet high vocals, melodic steel guitar, an aggressive scream, deep husky vocals, and Maiden-like riffs to finish. As I said, Rachel and band have a wide range.
“Tell Me” starts with probing guitar and bass and then picks up steam with midrange vocals showing betrayal and anger. There is almost a whisper before the music and vocals build up again, only to return to a quiet bridge and some melodic guitar, before another buildup.
“Pushing Through” starts off with more probing before launching into a pounding industrial sound with yet another voice, deep and clean. This song also features more buildups, along with distorted guitars, feedback, and high angry vocals with background growls.
“Suffering” opens with melodic guitar, a lighter beat, and a gentle voice. It later evolves into a wall of crunchy guitars and concludes as a Maiden-like anthem.
Apart from the variety, Downfall Rising’s music is also characterized by a modern song structure, which eschews standard verse-chorus-verse format. The lyrical themes in most of the songs, except perhaps “Dosage,” also seem to focus on relationship difficulties. If I have one complaint, it is that I would like to see more lyrical variety when Downfall Rising issues a full-length album. Even the band’s name suggests something more fantastical. Also, I love the band’s variety, but they should take care not to become too predictable in their variation.
What genre is Downfall Rising? They describe themselves as “female fronted modern rock.” That seems vague to me. I would say their music and vocals are definitely metal, but their lyrics (except perhaps “Dosage”) are more hard rock.
But regardless of genre, they have released a great EP, and I would definitely like to see them live.
Rating 9 / 10
