When We FallThis Sweden act formed in the fall of 2003 from the remnants of the band Bowser, as well as members from The Whole Nine Yards and Noir. They have released a demo in 2004 and have appeared on the Tearing Down The System! Compilation before prior to releasing this EP.
This five song EP is full of fast paced drumming over melodic riffing with urgent vocals very similar to,....Comeback Kid. Yeah, I know this band has been used as a reference point all too often but fuck if the opening track "No Retreat No Surrender" doesn't sound like the missing track from their sophomore full length, "Wake The Dead". And on top of that the vocalist has the same type of singing style, this guy may even be better. The songs range from 1:46 through 3:51. The first half of the EP is fast and driving until the melancholy intro to the third track "Bishops Yard", but shortly after they jump right back into the Comeback sound for the reminder of the EP.
Whenever I hear Swedish or Finnish bands, I am always floored at how well they pick up English. This guy sounds like he has been speaking English his whole life. Dude's lyrics aren't too bad either. For the most part the lyrics are very personal and definitely emo, but in a good way, not that terrible shit emo is thought to be by most kids today. I may be out of bounds here, but the tracks "You Made Me Wrong" and "A Cry In Despair" seem to deal with a fractured father/son relationship which is good because it isn't too common in the hardcore scene. They have the obligatory "failed society" anthem in the opening track "No Retreat No Surrender". "Fraction Of Distress" is probably my favorite song lyrically, it is a well versed song about spending your life chasing success. This song features my favorite line; "How could I believe in life when life had no trust in me". Good stuff.
This EP was exceptionally recorded. The crystalline guitar tone that provides enough crunch sounds massive. The bass tone has just enough presence to be effective and has a really rich tone. The vocals lowering and raising of the vocal levels in key sections were done tastefully. The drums have a good snare and kick tone, nice and deep. Couldn't have asked for a better recording for this style of hardcore.
This layout just isn't doing it for me, for some reason it reminds me of that Evanescence video from one of their terrible singles. It's got an angel emitting smoke from it wings standing in front of a building over a green backdrop. Unlike usual, the inside of the booklet is the most aesthetically pleasing. The tone of green used for the background is nice, and the lyrics are easy to read. The scattered photos on the adjacent page look good.
Rating: 2.9/5
Songs Worthy of Replay: A Cry In Despair
Synopsis: These guys have talent no doubt, and can write some catchy songs but when it comes down to it this genre of hardcore is just far too saturated and these guys don't do enough to stand out from the pack especially from the likes of Have Heart.