RISINGFALL
"Rise or Fall"
Dying Victims Productions 2022
If you are, my dear, in the mood for an honest, pugnacious,
classically Heavy Metal album, then I recommend you the first full-lenght from
the Japanese Risingfall. The band worked long and persistently over this album,
and fate did not spare them (the death of guitarist Yoshiki after a chronic
illness in February 2022). However, the brave samurai from Tokyo fought
relentlessly and finally got it right in November Anno Bastardi 2022, assisted
of course by Dying Victims Productions. Thus, one can risk saying that this
album is, in a way, a tribute to this six strings warrior, as well as a kind of
monument he left behind (for the recordings were completed before he passed to
the land of eternal hunting). So, as I mentioned at the beginning, "Rise
or Fall" is an album that will make fans of traditional Hard & Heavy
happy as hell. There are lots of catchy, energetic, conventional, juicy riffing
backed by soaring, emotional solos here. Galloping drums concretely add fuel to
the furnace, crisply sculpting, rough-finished bass further fuels the flames
raging within, and the whole thing is briefly held by the muzzle by G.Itoh's
powerful vocals. The music we hear here draws its inspiration from both the
canons of NWOBHM and American Hard Rock, as well as the early days of the Power
/ Speed scene, so the sounds have a proper claw and a distinctive, classic
drive. Thus, we will encounter some references to the first productions of Iron
Maiden, or Judas Priest, there will also be elements characteristic of Saxon's
work, but echoes of early Vicious Rumors, or Savage Grace are also present.
However, everything is fair here, so you won't see any copycat riffs here, and
the musicians from the country of the blooming cherry leave their hearts and
individual, peculiar shtick drawn with a katana blade in their songs. So you
can bang your head, stomp your feet or dance wildly, and there's plenty of room
for singing, too, as the choruses are made to give vent to your throaty
expression (especially after certain amount of booze). How can’t you not sing
along with the guys to such a "Masters of the Metal"? It's
practically unfeasible. And what more can be added here? This is not material
for exalted connoisseurs, or some revelation of the genre. "Rise or
Fall" is a charming, sincere, authentic, enthusiastic Heavy Metal album
that gets the job done. So I'm eager to check out the next production from
these five in love with traditional sounds samurais.
Hatzamoth
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