Within the Fall - Through the Shadows EP (2012)

I had previously reviewed this Swedish group's 2011 demo A Story to Be Told, their initial foray into melodic death/doom that drew influence from the earlier works of UK legends like both Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride and Anathema, and their own crushing countrymen like October Tide. Interestingly enough, they've also got some connections to another band called Soliloquium, whose demo I recently covered, and had a comparative style. A scene in the making? I've no idea, but Through the Shadows is a pretty huge step forward in sound quality and songwriting from its own predecessor, surpassing it on all fronts, and professional enough sounding that I'd be shocked if the band was not on the threshold of some label attention.

Where the prior release suffered somewhat from a swollen, overlong composition, the four tracks on this EP are more compact and manageable. They truly emphasize the 'death' elements here in addition to the doom, with massive guttural vocals in the vein of  Dan Swanö, or earlier Jonas Renkse before his Katatonia cleans. The melodies are lush and mesmerizing, and the low-end chords simply crush the listener despite their own inherent simplicity. I felt that the progression of the EP was a fraction misleading, since they have the heaviest track up front, a brutal chug fest called "Into the Arms of Grief" which branches off into these beautiful, eerie harmonies, and a lurching atmospheric bridge with some spectral tremolo picking. The remainder of the tunes are cast in a sadder pallor, lurching along beneath the weight of their storming, sorrowful melodies, double bass rolls, clean guitars with whispered dementia vocals; but all are consistent in quality, and the 8 minute finale "The Burial" has these beautiful, ringing clean guitars and tribal drums that build steadily unto the climax.

You won't find a lot of complexity here, since it doesn't really suit the style, and I can't say that the heavier riff patterns feel all that unique or intensely memorable, but Through the Shadows all comes together like a  suicide pact on an empty landscape, and the emotional restraint of the varied sequences is well arranged so that the songs never become dull. Even the cover art is a stride above simplistic like a child's painting, but beautiful, its color scheme matching the mood of the music completely. All of this, and the fact that the EP is available as a 'name your price' download on the band's site should compel ardent followers of modern, atmospheric death & doom to pursue this; in particular, fans of Isole, October Tide, (early) Katatonia, or Finland's Swallow the Sun and Insomnium will enjoy the band's enormous tone, and their infallible balance between eloquence and power.

Verdict: Win [7.75/10]

http://withinthefall.bandcamp.com/

Within the Fall - A Story to Be Told [DEMO] (2011)

Within the Fall is a young act out of Sweden who exhibit an enormous adoration for the emergent death/doom sounds that were prevalent in England during the early to mid 90s. Within but a few minutes, I was already confronted with some blazing, Paradise Lost-like combinations of chord and melody that brought me back to the Icon or Draconian Times era, not something I would ever have a problem with, and not the only weapon at this band's disposal. They also tend to incorporate some drier, clean guitar sequences that create a contrast to the slow explosions of misery, and the vocals stick exclusively to the expansive, guttural drawl that once defined bands like Anathema or Paradise Lost before they made their stylistic departures, or perhaps a dash of mid-90s Amorphis.

I think they pull it off rather well, though I was somewhat apprehensive when the first (title) track turned out to be about 10 minutes in length. I can't claim that the band's acoustic plucking is all that catchy, but they affix it with some percussion, brooding whispers or simple leads to keep the momentum pushing forward through all the rise and collapse of the transitions. And when the massive chugging arrives beneath Joakim Rudemyr's growling, and the woeful lyrics, you can certainly feel that same, haunting weight that you might have once experienced with the band's influences. "Graveyard of Gods", the second, final and shorter songs was definitely the better of the two here, as it lacked any of the excess fat of its predecessor and the clean guitars, while predictable, were more emotionally resonant, the bridge rhythm elevating and potent, and the tear stained melodies that arrive in the conclusion certainly accessible and fit for melancholic consumption.

For a first demo, the production is quite clear, with the vocals placed front and center but never to the expense of the chugging or calmer tones. The bass and drums are there, but as usual in this sort of hybrid those are not the foremost concerns; as long as they keep the beat and create a broader space for the dreary melodies and crushing gutturals, they are functioning as intended. Probably my biggest concern with this demo would be the pacing. It's death/doom, and therefor expected to be slow, but the way both of the songs continuously cycle through the clean and heavy sequences does border on redundant. Better if "Graveyard of Gods" had been up front, and then perhaps a different song to enforce it, with a more steady heaviness, or even a slight increase in speed. That said, it's not as if either of these was poorly written or executed. They establish the parameters of their emotional content, and never let the listener stray forth from their inherent sadness, and clearly there is some potential worth following that might one day lead the band into the ranks of acts like Isole or Swallow the Sun.

Verdict: Win [7/10]

http://www.facebook.com/WithinTheFall?sk=wall