WATCH ME FALL:Worn -cd-
The
Finnish band Watch Me Fall started their career in 1997 by playing Paradise
Lost covers. After having released two demos they have now signed with
the new Finnish label KTOK Records and recorded their debut album. Except
for being somewhat melancholic this album doesn't have much in common
with Paradise Lost. Watch Me Fall has instead turned themselves into
a melodic death metal band but there are still very obvious traces of
the melancholic feeling of gothic metal. If you know of other Finnish
bands like Sentenced and old Amorphis you know what kind of feeling
we are talking about. Perhaps there is something special about the Finnish
wilderness that induces this feeling into its inhabitants. You might
say that they sound like a mix of old In Flames (their "Lunar Strain"
and "The Jester Race" albums) and modern My Dying Bride. Whatever
comparisons you try to make Watch Me Fall have managed to record a very
interesting and atmospheric debut album which is something they should
be credited for. There is however more heaviness and sadness than speed
and rage on this album so if these are your only criterias for good
music you should stay away from this. The growling vocals are very powerful
and strong and if you enjoy doom, gothic and death metal this is a suitable
mix for you. (tartarean desire)
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Reviewing
albums for an e-zine often leaves you listening to crappy CD's for hours
in a row, but once in a while, a real jewel comes by totally unexpected.
Watch Me Fall, hailing from Finland, released Worn in may last year,
so it is a shame I didn't get to review this little masterpiece earlier.
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Watch
Me Fall started out as a band who mainly played Paradise Lost covers,
but after two demotapes (of which the first never officially has been
released) the band has its first album released. 'Worn' carries nine
tracks that can be best described as melodic or melancholic Death Metal.
Influences from the masters like In Flames, Dark Tranquility or Paradise
Lost are pretty obvious, but it all sounds cool enough to conclude that
these Finish blokes made a rather good debut album, check for example
"Worn Out" (Hello Dark Tranquility!!!). Production-wise it
also leaves nothing to be desired, so fans of this genre will have a
good buy with this one. (Tim) (lords of metal)
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Katatoniaa
menestyksekkäästi lämmitellyt Watch Me Fall vakuuttaa
kuulijansa olemalla varsin tosissaan musiikistaan. Huoliteltua, tyylikästä
ja koherenttia death metallia, jos sallitte. Melodisuutta löytyy,
mutta yhtyeen omintakeinen sävellystyyli ei anna aihetta heittää
ruotsalaisen metallin leimaa heidän niskoilleen. Siinä missä
ruotsalainen death metal on hankeen paleltuva pillittävä pikkunilkki,
on Watch Me Fall katkera, mutta ylpeä nyrkkiään puristava
raavas mies. Vaikka bändin sovitukset ovat äärimmäisen
sekavia, saa levystä silti selkoa, kun pitää korvat auki.
Mutta ehkä jonkinlaisen punaisen langan lötyminen olisi kova
sana tulevaisuudessa, sillä kappaleista on aika ajoin vaikea löytää
minkäänlaisia kohokohtia. Hieman potkua sävellyksiin,
niin kellot soivat. Mutta kapasiteettiä löytyy, eikä
mikään voi asettua bändin menestyksen tielle. Äärimmäisen
mielenkiintoinen tapaus. (Sauli) (inferno)
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Melankolismelodisen
tunnelmoivaa metallia soittavan turkulaisyhtyeen debyyttialbumi tarjoaa
tunteiden kirjoa elämän varjoisammalta puolelta. Hitaampaan,
jopa lievästi doomahtavaan tempoon ja herkän surumielisiin
sävelmiin luottavat kappaleet pursuavat talvista tragiikkaa ja
syksyistä synkkyyttä, sortumatta kuitenkaan missään
vaiheessa ylilyönteihin. Finnvoxilla miksatun levyn ainoa pieni
lapsus on Varpu Vahteran eteeristen koskettimien siirtäminen
liian taka-alalle, sointi on paikoin aivan liian hiljainen. Promoajoilta
levylle kelpuutettu Waves, iskevä avausraita Silent Aeons sekä
haikean tarttuva Dirge For The Final Journey virtaavat kuin Tuonelan
virta, ja kolmisen selloilla varustetuttua kappaletta saattelevat
kuulijansa erittäin harmonisesti Manan Majoille, etenkin lehdetkin
tunnelmallaan pudottava Winter Within. WMF:n Akilleen kantapäinä
ovat tähän mennessä olleet kehnohkot
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Starting from a typical melodic death a´la In Flames, WMF succeed to enclose different influences to a music that is interesting even if absolutely new. Their melodic death knows a lot the influences of bands like Paradise Lost, the same scandinavian scene with Dark Tranquility, but also the easier metal of bands like Sentenced. It creates a good scenario with various colours but it all has to amalgamate better giving to all these the right balance so to have a personal and dreaming sound. At the moment a nice band and I think that the future will offer them good satisfactions. (70/100) (vampiria mag) |
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