PRAYER FOR CLEANSING
"The
Rain in Endless Fall" (Tribunal Records; 2003 / 1999)
Reviewed by Christopher J. Kelter
"The Rain In Endless Fall" was the first record released by Tribunal Records back in 1999 and now it sees it re-issue five years later. Prayer For Cleansing's debut, "The Rain In Endless Fall," is hailed as one of the first recorded metalcore albums and, in fact, is still hailed as an underground masterpiece by many who appreciate the blend of metal and hardcore.
When done well, metalcore can be a thoroughly rocking and entertaining experience. And Prayer For Cleansing succeeds on both accounts. Musically the blend of hardcore and metal (with death metal's influence also fairly obvious) is quite an experience although I'm reliving the past when I hear what many consider to be the birth of a genre with an additional five years worth of metalcore listening experiences to go by.
"The Rain In Endless Fall" is a snappy and brutal merging of hardcore and metal. The guitar work takes most of the credit for the 'metal' in metalcore as the guitar riffs stick to chunka-chunka riffs but embellish every song with single-note lines and spasms of melody that drag the music screaming and kicking to the metal side of the extreme music world.
For those of you in tune with the current metalcore scene you'll be interested to know that current metalcore sensations Between The Buried And Me was formed from the ashes of Prayer For Cleansing.
"The Rain In Endless Fall" is a great look into the past and the origins of a genre. I don't believe the reissue of "The Rain In Endless Fall" contains any new music, but it has been beefed up with a new mix and Pro-Tools editing.
"The Rain In Endless Fall" was produced by Matthew Rudzinski.
Prayer For Cleansing: David Anthem on vocals, Dennis Lamb and Paul Waggoner on guitars, Marc Duncan on bass, and Will Goodyear on drums and piano.
For more information visit http://www.tribunalrecords.net/.
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 © 2004 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights
reserved.
Revised: 01 Apr 2024 12:46:38 -0500.
