EP REVIEW: Lonely If You Go – fallfiftyfeet
What do love, the human condition, and bodies of water have in common? We can all drown within them. One more literally than the other but symbolism is key for this EP. No other genre can depict the act of drowning quite like metalcore. Moreso if there are elements of mathcore smashed into it. Stacked with eccentricities, FALLFIFTYFEET release their EP Lonely If You Go.
If this melding of the cores has put potential listeners off, they sit on the precipice of letting three tracks of divine chaos slip through the net. This successor to 2021’s Twisted World Perspective may have a short run-time of just ten minutes but there is nothing sweet about this EP. The opening title track greets us with a cacophony of meaty riffs and lacerating screams. “Someone somewhere set me free” reeks of desperation amid the vicious undercurrent of James Becca’s guitars. Attempting to outrun the tsunami of loneliness brought about by love gone wrong proves futile as the track ramps up into what could be seen as a typical metalcore chorus. Clean vocals soaring above tumultuous instrumentals are nothing new for the genre but that doesn’t make this any less solid.
As we mentioned, if pure metalcore is being sought after, it won’t be found here. FALLFIFTYFEET may not be as genre fluid as some but the fluidity they do possess is showcased exceedingly well. The title track meshes elements of sludge and mathcore with lilts of Becca’s guitar splashing through Zac Clevenger’s mucky basslines. Yet not even 30 seconds later, we’re cast into the eye of the storm, clamouring for respite within the shimmering percussion and a far-off voice advising “beauty has an expiration date”. We learn quickly that FALLFIFTYFEET is not a band to get comfortable with as no musical moment lasts long.
Pandemonium rules the roost as we are swept away with Lonely If You Go. With a feature from the aptly named hyper-death project ZOMBIESHARK, When The Water Fills Your Lungs basks in insidiousness. Melodic guitars reflect the serene nature of calm waters, yet the darker riff beneath depicts there is more than meets the eye, or ear in this instance. Layered clean vocals from David Wallace echo like anxiety-derived thoughts. Tranquillity shatters beneath the weight of a burdened mind. Cleans become low rumbling growls as the track churns within itself. As math and metalcore collide, we find our attention pulled in multiple directions. Within the murky breakdown, guttural growls and screeches of guitars we quickly become overwhelmed with the need for repeat listens just to understand what’s going on.
What strikes us is the knowledge these three tracks were written at different times. While they show a progression within the band’s constantly changing sound, had we not known this, we would have put the evolution down to the natural progression of the story. Closing Meet Me Overboard clears any confusion and plunges us into the depths. Its intro is beautifully unsettling while frantic screaming connotes a soul in the last throes of life. While the turmoil is glorious, it’s the more spacious moments which garner our attention. Big riffs ring out to birth snippets of melodies. This multifaceted approach to a song about soul-crushing depression will hit hard for those who hear themselves within it. As Meet Me Overboard thrashes between the frantic and the quiet, the small spoken word “This feeling inside eats me alive” rings louder than any instrument possibly could.
The wonderful thing about an EP is its ability to provide an interim snapshot into a band’s state of musicality. Branded as a moment of evolution Lonely If You Go sets off a bright future for FALLFIFTYFEET. This EP may only be ten minutes long but not’s not about the size of the dog in the fight, is it? Encased within these ten minutes is an enigma which begs to be solved over repeat playthroughs. While Lonely If You Go may slip beneath many radars, those who stumble upon this gem will not be disappointed.
Rating: 8/10
Lonely If You Go is set for release on August 26th via self-release.
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