Beyond Fallen - As The Spires Fall (2017)
Posted: 01 Apr 2017, 20:50
Beyond Fallen - As The Spires Fall (2017)
Year : 2017
Style : Heavy Metal , Power Metal
Country : United States
Audio : 320 kbps + front + Video
Size : 142 mb
Bio:
The history of Beyond Fallen begins in 2003, after searching for the right members the band finally came together in the summer of 2003, with Beyond Fallen making it’s live debut in the fall, and finishing out the year with the first recording in December - a 4-song demo/EP at S.I. Studios in Scranton, Pennsylvania.With a steady live schedule in 2004, one of the year's highlites was when the band won first place at Keystone College’s Battle of the Bands in the spring - a strong statement to make their mark as a legitimate force on the regional music scene.Their song “A Line in The Sand” from the debut 4 song CD had been featured in the Top 10 unsigned artists MP3s on FuseTv’s Uranium website. The band gained distribution of this CD through Hellion Records in Germany, with several more distribution deals that followed. This exposed the band to the European metal scene and opened the door for the band to gain even more exposure overseas in the coming years.The first half of 2005 focused primarily on writing new material, and in July 2005 the band entered S.I. Studios in Scranton, Pennsylvania again, this time to record its first full-legnth album, titled “Lost In The Shadows.” A very active schedule of live dates followed as the band coninued to build momentum and gain new fans.This all eventually led to the band being signed to Melissa Records, a label based in The Netherlands. The new album, recorded in January 2007 at S.I. Studios in Scranton, titled "Mindfire" was released the following June. Metal fans and press around the world have given it high praise.The band made their first trip to Europe in July 2007, notably performing at the 10th anniversary The Headbanger's Open Air Festival in Germany to rave reviews, and at the famous Ballroom Hamburg, in Hamburg, Germany. The European metal scene has really taken notice of Beyond Fallen, and there's still no sign of slowing the growing fan base around the world.2008 saw the band do some select shows, then the band took some time off. In 2009 the band got back out on stage playing in Virginia and New York for the very first time. 2010 saw the writing of new material and new live dates, notably playing the Warriors of Metal Festival in Ohio as well as some other shows.Beyond Fallen has performed some high-profile live shows over the years in America and Germany with heavy metal veterans the likes of Metal Church, Over Kill, W.A.S.P, Firewind, Halloween, Sinner, Ross The Boss (ex Manowar), Seven Witches, Joey Belladonna (of Anthrax), The Rods, Raven and many other acts.2013, the band's 10 year anniversary, was a busy year with new material released as well as many great shows and big crowds. The release MACHINES OF CORRUPTION hit the streets in September, 2013, and the reaction has been very positive, being called the band's best release to date. 2014 saw the band resume a strong live schedule, including the band's second appearance at the Warriors Of Metal Festival in Ohio. The band also released a new song, "Hatecrown" and made their first music video for the song.In 2015 the band performed in Chicago at the Ragnarökkr Metal Apocalypse, in New Jersey at The New Jersey Metalfest, and in New York at the Finger Lakes MetalFest. The band has begun recording a new album.
Album:
Beyond Fallen is one of those bands that I have followed since their inception, and for good reason. This coupling of musician’s dedication to the spirit of heavy metal is simply admirable, producing one solid album after another with live shows that match the recorded enthusiasm. This doesn’t mean there haven’t been hiccups along the way, finding a number of members coming and going including the recent departure of guitarist Greg Baczmarga, not to mention a brief hiatus at one point that paved the way for the brief existence of Forgotten Legacy around 2009. All that said, the group continues to persevere, promising a return to form for their third full-length album As the Spires Fall, which is due for release sometime later in 2016. But is this an expansion on the change in sound found on their 2013 EP Machines of Corruption, or does the band pick up where Mindfire left off?For those unaware, Machines of Corruption attempted to take the group into much more of an epic direction comparable to a cross between Blind Guardian and Manowar. For As the Spires Fall, Beyond Fallen return to their traditional heavy metal roots with tinges of power metal riffage throughout, complete with a far better sounding audio quality compared to it. While still favoring a slightly thinner presence in the mastering than we’ve seen lately, the digital quality still leaves each instrument and the vocals sounding crisp and powerful enough to get your head banging along with each passing piece of metal infection drilled into your ear drums.Once you clear the traditional epic build of the introductory track “The Arrival”, you’re thrust back into the band’s glory days with “Return of the Sky Gods”. The mixture of lighter main verses with a hint of Iron Maiden melody compliments the addictive, slightly faster chorus with hints of Nordic Amon Amarth style hooks that play up the subject matter perfectly. “As the Spires Fall” takes that enthusiasm and folds in some slower main verses that cause the powerful chorus to simply pop the moment it kicks into gear. While easily one of the group’s best, the closing could have used a little more range in the vocals. Instead of holding on to the same pitch for a few seconds, I found myself becoming frustrated that it didn’t drop an octave for the sake of melody given how the music changes and doesn’t stick with the held consistency of that note. Sure, it’s nit-picking, but it’s the only blemish on an otherwise flawless performance.But these faster cuts are not all As The Spires Fall has to offer. “The Great Distance” is the lightest, most diverse track of the release, finding vocalist Joe Karavis partaking in some somber clean singing during the more depressing main verses and bridging segments. It’s not bad, but his presence feels lacking sometimes, especially in the heavier passages craving a little more action to them over time, even if it is a stronger layered attribute like what appears as the song begins to fade or a backing falsetto from time to time beyond the first chorus which does seem to briefly pull it off but in too muted a fashion to have the desired impact. This and the aforementioned thinner sounding mastering leaves the folkier performance a bit barren before the pace picks up about four minutes in, and even a bit after. You also have “Seven Scorpions”, which is the only track to feel at all like filler. While keeping with the overall theme, it just doesn’t have the same quality as the others, often feeling disjointed between how the guitars sometimes clash with the rattling bass and drum presence. The guitar solo, however, is the best part with how everything comes together to present a stronger Egyptian theme on par with the overall tone of early Nile recordings or even “Egypt” by Mercyful Fate.Even though the first few tracks together feel as though you’re sitting through a live performance from Beyond Fallen, that power does kind of stop abruptly come “Destroying Reality”. This one immediately breaks the flow of the release in favor of a slower, gloom filled bout of grandeur with riffs and an atmosphere on par to “Kashmir” by Led Zeppelin, a band you could often hear traces of in their works over the years, but not to this extent. While not bad, it ends up detrimental due to its placement on the release, as if force-feeding you a handful of Ritalin and commanding you to sit down and listen to a slow-moving opus after downing one of those large pixie stick tubes in one sitting. Given the finality the song carries, it would have made more sense to put it at the end following “Razor Wire Halo”, which just sounds like the band collectively woke up pissed off and wrote a song developed specifically to slam your face into the gravel and slowly scrape it along the jagged rocks. This thick slab of metal is accentuated with traces of Judas Priest authority in the attitude and backing falsettos that just add an extra edge of aggression to the mix, a superb choice given the inclusion of their post-Machines of Corruption single “Hatecrown” towards the end which could have been handled as bonus track had “Destroying Reality” actually wrapped up the newly recorded material.While Machines of Corruption was a good departure from the norm, it didn’t quite have that Beyond Fallen spirit that has made them the well oiled metal machine they have become. As if the group didn’t even care too much for the change in the long run, we find them back to doing what they do best, though not too close-minded to dabbling with other ideas. While the folk influence common to the group’s later output is still felt in the material, it’s hard to ignore a subtle norse and middle eastern presence in the guitar work and drumming that bares some melodic death metal fangs at times without going overboard and breaking the signature sound of this act, adding a little more variety than their last two albums had shown. Despite a few hiccups along the way, As the Spires Fall is not only the energetic third album long-time fans have waited over nine years for, but something it seems the group simply needed to get off their chest. If you’re a fan of heavy metal overall, this is something you won’t want to pass up.
Line Up:
Chuck Donahue Bass, Vocals (2003-present) - See also: Forgotten Legacy, Thunderfist
Steve Jasuilewicz Guitars (2003-present)
Joe Karavis Vocals (2003-present) - See also: MercyCurse, ex-Anger Reign, ex-Unleashed Power, ex-Avalon, ex-Wasted Faith
John "Jez" Jesuele Drums (2013-present) - See also: Chrysaor, Forgotten Legacy, ex-Shadowlorde, ex-Neldöreth (live), ex-Killing Chapel, ex-Cryptic Stench, ex-Extermination
Randy Bobzien Guitars (2016-present) - See also: ex-Fear of God
Tracklist:
01. The Arrival 01:21
02. Return of the Sky Gods 04:54
03. As the Spires Fall 04:19
04. Bodybreaker 05:14
05. Destroying Reality 05:25
06. Seven Scorpions 03:52
07. The Lifeless Grin 04:19
08. The Great Distance 06:30
09. Razor Wire Halo 04:30
10. Hatecrown 05:10
+ Video "Hatecrown" (Official Video)
Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/
Year : 2017
Style : Heavy Metal , Power Metal
Country : United States
Audio : 320 kbps + front + Video
Size : 142 mb
Bio:
The history of Beyond Fallen begins in 2003, after searching for the right members the band finally came together in the summer of 2003, with Beyond Fallen making it’s live debut in the fall, and finishing out the year with the first recording in December - a 4-song demo/EP at S.I. Studios in Scranton, Pennsylvania.With a steady live schedule in 2004, one of the year's highlites was when the band won first place at Keystone College’s Battle of the Bands in the spring - a strong statement to make their mark as a legitimate force on the regional music scene.Their song “A Line in The Sand” from the debut 4 song CD had been featured in the Top 10 unsigned artists MP3s on FuseTv’s Uranium website. The band gained distribution of this CD through Hellion Records in Germany, with several more distribution deals that followed. This exposed the band to the European metal scene and opened the door for the band to gain even more exposure overseas in the coming years.The first half of 2005 focused primarily on writing new material, and in July 2005 the band entered S.I. Studios in Scranton, Pennsylvania again, this time to record its first full-legnth album, titled “Lost In The Shadows.” A very active schedule of live dates followed as the band coninued to build momentum and gain new fans.This all eventually led to the band being signed to Melissa Records, a label based in The Netherlands. The new album, recorded in January 2007 at S.I. Studios in Scranton, titled "Mindfire" was released the following June. Metal fans and press around the world have given it high praise.The band made their first trip to Europe in July 2007, notably performing at the 10th anniversary The Headbanger's Open Air Festival in Germany to rave reviews, and at the famous Ballroom Hamburg, in Hamburg, Germany. The European metal scene has really taken notice of Beyond Fallen, and there's still no sign of slowing the growing fan base around the world.2008 saw the band do some select shows, then the band took some time off. In 2009 the band got back out on stage playing in Virginia and New York for the very first time. 2010 saw the writing of new material and new live dates, notably playing the Warriors of Metal Festival in Ohio as well as some other shows.Beyond Fallen has performed some high-profile live shows over the years in America and Germany with heavy metal veterans the likes of Metal Church, Over Kill, W.A.S.P, Firewind, Halloween, Sinner, Ross The Boss (ex Manowar), Seven Witches, Joey Belladonna (of Anthrax), The Rods, Raven and many other acts.2013, the band's 10 year anniversary, was a busy year with new material released as well as many great shows and big crowds. The release MACHINES OF CORRUPTION hit the streets in September, 2013, and the reaction has been very positive, being called the band's best release to date. 2014 saw the band resume a strong live schedule, including the band's second appearance at the Warriors Of Metal Festival in Ohio. The band also released a new song, "Hatecrown" and made their first music video for the song.In 2015 the band performed in Chicago at the Ragnarökkr Metal Apocalypse, in New Jersey at The New Jersey Metalfest, and in New York at the Finger Lakes MetalFest. The band has begun recording a new album.
Album:
Beyond Fallen is one of those bands that I have followed since their inception, and for good reason. This coupling of musician’s dedication to the spirit of heavy metal is simply admirable, producing one solid album after another with live shows that match the recorded enthusiasm. This doesn’t mean there haven’t been hiccups along the way, finding a number of members coming and going including the recent departure of guitarist Greg Baczmarga, not to mention a brief hiatus at one point that paved the way for the brief existence of Forgotten Legacy around 2009. All that said, the group continues to persevere, promising a return to form for their third full-length album As the Spires Fall, which is due for release sometime later in 2016. But is this an expansion on the change in sound found on their 2013 EP Machines of Corruption, or does the band pick up where Mindfire left off?For those unaware, Machines of Corruption attempted to take the group into much more of an epic direction comparable to a cross between Blind Guardian and Manowar. For As the Spires Fall, Beyond Fallen return to their traditional heavy metal roots with tinges of power metal riffage throughout, complete with a far better sounding audio quality compared to it. While still favoring a slightly thinner presence in the mastering than we’ve seen lately, the digital quality still leaves each instrument and the vocals sounding crisp and powerful enough to get your head banging along with each passing piece of metal infection drilled into your ear drums.Once you clear the traditional epic build of the introductory track “The Arrival”, you’re thrust back into the band’s glory days with “Return of the Sky Gods”. The mixture of lighter main verses with a hint of Iron Maiden melody compliments the addictive, slightly faster chorus with hints of Nordic Amon Amarth style hooks that play up the subject matter perfectly. “As the Spires Fall” takes that enthusiasm and folds in some slower main verses that cause the powerful chorus to simply pop the moment it kicks into gear. While easily one of the group’s best, the closing could have used a little more range in the vocals. Instead of holding on to the same pitch for a few seconds, I found myself becoming frustrated that it didn’t drop an octave for the sake of melody given how the music changes and doesn’t stick with the held consistency of that note. Sure, it’s nit-picking, but it’s the only blemish on an otherwise flawless performance.But these faster cuts are not all As The Spires Fall has to offer. “The Great Distance” is the lightest, most diverse track of the release, finding vocalist Joe Karavis partaking in some somber clean singing during the more depressing main verses and bridging segments. It’s not bad, but his presence feels lacking sometimes, especially in the heavier passages craving a little more action to them over time, even if it is a stronger layered attribute like what appears as the song begins to fade or a backing falsetto from time to time beyond the first chorus which does seem to briefly pull it off but in too muted a fashion to have the desired impact. This and the aforementioned thinner sounding mastering leaves the folkier performance a bit barren before the pace picks up about four minutes in, and even a bit after. You also have “Seven Scorpions”, which is the only track to feel at all like filler. While keeping with the overall theme, it just doesn’t have the same quality as the others, often feeling disjointed between how the guitars sometimes clash with the rattling bass and drum presence. The guitar solo, however, is the best part with how everything comes together to present a stronger Egyptian theme on par with the overall tone of early Nile recordings or even “Egypt” by Mercyful Fate.Even though the first few tracks together feel as though you’re sitting through a live performance from Beyond Fallen, that power does kind of stop abruptly come “Destroying Reality”. This one immediately breaks the flow of the release in favor of a slower, gloom filled bout of grandeur with riffs and an atmosphere on par to “Kashmir” by Led Zeppelin, a band you could often hear traces of in their works over the years, but not to this extent. While not bad, it ends up detrimental due to its placement on the release, as if force-feeding you a handful of Ritalin and commanding you to sit down and listen to a slow-moving opus after downing one of those large pixie stick tubes in one sitting. Given the finality the song carries, it would have made more sense to put it at the end following “Razor Wire Halo”, which just sounds like the band collectively woke up pissed off and wrote a song developed specifically to slam your face into the gravel and slowly scrape it along the jagged rocks. This thick slab of metal is accentuated with traces of Judas Priest authority in the attitude and backing falsettos that just add an extra edge of aggression to the mix, a superb choice given the inclusion of their post-Machines of Corruption single “Hatecrown” towards the end which could have been handled as bonus track had “Destroying Reality” actually wrapped up the newly recorded material.While Machines of Corruption was a good departure from the norm, it didn’t quite have that Beyond Fallen spirit that has made them the well oiled metal machine they have become. As if the group didn’t even care too much for the change in the long run, we find them back to doing what they do best, though not too close-minded to dabbling with other ideas. While the folk influence common to the group’s later output is still felt in the material, it’s hard to ignore a subtle norse and middle eastern presence in the guitar work and drumming that bares some melodic death metal fangs at times without going overboard and breaking the signature sound of this act, adding a little more variety than their last two albums had shown. Despite a few hiccups along the way, As the Spires Fall is not only the energetic third album long-time fans have waited over nine years for, but something it seems the group simply needed to get off their chest. If you’re a fan of heavy metal overall, this is something you won’t want to pass up.
Line Up:
Chuck Donahue Bass, Vocals (2003-present) - See also: Forgotten Legacy, Thunderfist
Steve Jasuilewicz Guitars (2003-present)
Joe Karavis Vocals (2003-present) - See also: MercyCurse, ex-Anger Reign, ex-Unleashed Power, ex-Avalon, ex-Wasted Faith
John "Jez" Jesuele Drums (2013-present) - See also: Chrysaor, Forgotten Legacy, ex-Shadowlorde, ex-Neldöreth (live), ex-Killing Chapel, ex-Cryptic Stench, ex-Extermination
Randy Bobzien Guitars (2016-present) - See also: ex-Fear of God
Tracklist:
01. The Arrival 01:21
02. Return of the Sky Gods 04:54
03. As the Spires Fall 04:19
04. Bodybreaker 05:14
05. Destroying Reality 05:25
06. Seven Scorpions 03:52
07. The Lifeless Grin 04:19
08. The Great Distance 06:30
09. Razor Wire Halo 04:30
10. Hatecrown 05:10
+ Video "Hatecrown" (Official Video)
Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/