ALBUM REVIEW: RISE – From Fall To Spring
Recently there seems to have been a resurgence in nu-metal. What’s not to love about rap rock and DJ decks mixed with a cheeky breakdown? German quintet FROM FALL TO SPRING are one such band who have mastered these elements, delivering a sound so nostalgic it may almost feel surreal. With their first full-length album RISE, the band have already sent waves through the internet, gaining traction on TikTok with a viral video or two. Earlier in the year they were in the running to represent Germany at Eurovision 2023 in Liverpool, but lost out to LORD OF THE LOST.
Speaking of Eurovision, FROM FALL TO SPRING share some sound parallels with previous 2021 entry BLIND CHANNEL, mixing electronic elements with mighty riffs and vocals. They start the album off with the track BR4INFCK, with an atmospheric intro repeating “My brain is fucked up I go insane” until the point has well and truly made it into the listener’s head. It’s quite clear just from this lyric what the song is about, and this is repeated in the chorus of the song. The band have two vocalists, twins Philip and Lukas Wilhelm who share the mix of melodic, uncleans and rap sections, as well as playing guitar – clearly they both have a wide range. The song progresses from the moody intro to a spoken style of rap that soon blends into a more melodic pre-chorus. Behind these vocals we have strong guitar chords, beefy drum rhythms and a cool electronica tune. A catchy chorus and hard hitting rap verses take this track up a notch, creating a well-rounded song.
Moving onto the second track, BLACK HEART, this one starts off slower, but soon hits you like a punch to the face, taking the sound up another level by bringing in some meaty riffs and aggressive uncleans. The members of FROM FALL TO SPRING work superbly well together to create unforgettable melodies which are likely going to be in your mind all day long. Mixing high speed rap rhythms and tuneful choruses makes for songs that are bouncy as hell, then adding infectious guitar and bass riffs with impactful drums, well, what can you say other than wow.
The single DRAW THE LINE was the band’s choice for Eurovision and you can tell why this song in particular was chosen for the competition. It highlights all elements of the band’s sound, making sure to be memorable and eye catching. It’s always nice to see heavier songs being entered into these types of competitions, as it gives a more mainstream stage to rock and metal music. The album’s title track has a more pop sounding first verse, but it isn’t long until the nu-metal sound enters in full force. Echoing sounds of LINKIN PARK, this song has a heavy lean towards the more electronic elements which are really cool and used in interesting ways. This contrasts with the song BEASTMODE which could probably work as a hype song, or encourage some sort of revolution. It’s always great to hear multiple sides of a band’s sound, after all, if every song sounded the same it would be no fun.
Overall, FROM FALL TO SPRING should be proud considering this is their first full-length release. Given the reception the singles from this album have had, it’s very likely their fan base will be very happy with what the band have created here. Nu-metal is definitely back, and a lot of people are very pleased about that.
Rating: 9/10
RISE is set for release on April 14th via Arising Empire.
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