Michigan’s For the Fallen Dreams have always found their voice in metalcore. Their early releases cemented them in the sound, while their later efforts have seen them try to push the boat out a little further, while still remaining safely within the realms of metalcore. You would think then, that after four years, the band would have something new to offer. And, in a sense, they do.
Where the band’s previous album, ‘Heavy Hearts’, dealt exclusively in the generic tropes of metalcore, ‘Six’ sees the band branch out a little and experiment with their sound. Opening two tracks ‘Stone’ and ‘The Undertow’ feature less unclean vocals while bringing in synth backdrops, but build up to breakdowns that hit with the familiar For the Fallen Dreams brutality.
‘Unstoppable’ shows a slightly softer side to the band, before the final third takes over and returns to the generic metalcore sound. It’s a formula the band stick to across all ten tracks on ‘Six’, with varying degrees of heaviness. ‘Ten Years is perhaps the most ferocious, hitting with the intensity of hardcore acts like The Ghost Inside.
Lyrically, For the Fallen Dreams offer up the same “you can do it” message that’s been pushed by hundreds of metalcore acts in the last ten years. While it’s a good message to push, the band rarely step off the beaten path, making for collection of songs that ultimately talk about nothing.
For the Fallen Dreams have managed to push their boundaries and progress, creating an album that, for the first few listens at least is a stunning. However, upon repetition, the band start to sound like a one trick pony, never offering much more than they do on the opening track.
3/5
‘Six’ by For the Fallen Dreams is out now on Rise Records.
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Words by Ben Mills (@BenMills28)
