ALL THAT REMAINS
"The
Fall of Ideals" (Razor & Tie; 2006)
Reviewed by R. Scott Bolton
"The Fall of Ideals" is a complex and energetic CD that, to paraphrase Motorhead's Lemmy Kilmister, you don't want to dance to or you'll fuck yourself up.
Built on a foundation of blast beats and double bass (courtesy Shannon Lucas, a freaking great drummer), "The Fall of Ideals" soars with strong songwriting, tight musicianship and an energy level that's hard to beat. And, as Mr. Kelter notes below, there are guitar solos, good ones, that appear when the song needs them and not just because someone decided to start wailing.
Despite the fact that the first thing you'll notice on "The Fall of Ideals" is the killer drums, the CD is really guitar-driven more than anything else. "The Fall of Ideals" is loaded with driving riffs, chunky and/or spiky notes and, again, lead solos that are fast and furious and, more importantly, appropriate to the song.
Plus, the band continues to be unafraid of exploring. Take track six, wisely entitled "Six," for example, which sounds a little like the classic "Flight of the Bumblebee" on crack. Listen to that song with headphones turned up to 10 and your head will be spinning for days.
The vocals often have the death metal / hardcore growl to them but, like the guitar solos, they seem appropriate to the songs and therefore don't take long to get used to.
Overall, "The Fall of Ideals" is a very solid record from All That Remains and a CD that should please their fans and bring aboard new ones as well.
All That Remains: Phil Labonte -Vocals; Mike Martin - Guitars; Oli Herbert - Guitars; Shannon Lucas - Drums; Jeanne Sagan - Bass.
For more information, check out http://www.allthatremainsonline.com.
"Behind
Silence & Solitude" (Metal Blade/Prosthetic; 2002)
Reviewed by Christopher J. Kelter
All That Remains is fronted by ex-Shadows Fall frontman Philip Labonte and features ex-members of Scattered Remnants. Even though I hadn't listened to the Shadow's Fall debut in some time it was not hard to hear the similarities between All That Remains and Shadows Fall. Both bands balance European melodies and North American determination.
Songwriting seems to be a particular strength of All That Remains. There are plenty, but not too many, changes and curveballs to keep the songs from being weighed down by simplicity or repetition. "Clarity" features straight-ahead metal while "Follow" lets the band's hardcore influences shine through. The dynamic aggression of "One Belief" is a great way to end the CD. Additionally, I like the fact that there are guitar solos to be heard, not unlike Shadows Fall, but these solos are a bit smoother and melodic not to mention just a tad bit more dramatic.
"Behind Silence & Solitude" is a solid record that could be enjoyed by the various fans of the many forms of metal. Fans of Shadows Fall, At The Gates, Lamb Of God, and Darkest Hour will like what All That Remains has to offer. Also, kudos to Prosthetic Records, hot off their signing and stellar promotion of Lamb Of God, to give All That Remains the opportunity to reach the metal masses.
"Behind Silence & Solitude" was produced by Zeuss and All That Remains.
All That Remains: Philip Labonte on vocals, Oli Herbert and Chris Bartlett on guitars, Dan Egan on bass, and Mike Bartlett on drums.
For more information visit http://www.allthatremains.cc.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
Copyright © 2006 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights
reserved.
Revised: 20 Nov 2008 01:30:38 -0600.
