FALLEN ANGEL - review added 27th August 2010
Album Review: Crawling Out Of Hell (2010)
For fans of: Power/Thrash Metal... and giant track lists
Fallen Angel - Steve Seniuk on vocals, John Cruppe and Robb Lotta on guitar, Joe Surace on bass, and Frankie Quaggs on drums - is a power/thrash metal band taking a novel approach to getting their artistic talents across to the populace.
The "Crawling Out Of Hell" CD is part of a trilogy of musical releases. Not only that, the band are releasing novels (created by guitarist John Cruppe) that tie in with and expand upon the stories told on the discs. The band also portray villains from this vast dramatization they have developed during their live shows. Fallen Angel aren't just creating metal. They are creating an entire world.
The sound takes cues from the worlds of symphonic metal, power metal, thrash, old-school heavy metal and more. Imagine a melting pot of vintage Iron Maiden, Overkill, Blind Guardian and Helloween and you'll be in the right ballpark. The guitars and rhythms are screamingly fast, the singing molests the top end of the vocal register, and the overall effect is epically loud.
The result is both good and bad. When Fallen Angel get it right - which they do a lot on this record - they sound utterly amazing. The production leaves a lot to be desired, being a tad rustic to say the least, but it gives the record a good dose of character. The big problem that stops Crawling Out Of Hell hitting the big time is the amount of padding. Every time the guys find some amazing riff or vocal progression, they only dabble with it briefly before settling back into a more predictable style. Shame. With a few tweaks this record could have been awesome.
'Sinner's Vengeance' is a prime example. It has to cope with 'Crash To Oblivion' wasting a minute before it, and 'March Into Hell' wasting another minute after. The song itself features some amazing drums and guitars, and the groovy section in the middle is astonishing...but it only lasts a couple of seconds! And so the record goes on. For every good track there is an instrumental filler. For every flash of genius there are a few minutes of forgettable plod.
As a whole, Crawling Out Of Hell is still an enjoyable album with plenty to recommend. It contains some of this year's most dramatic metal tracks - 'The Reapers Shall Gather' being the prime example - but is definitely lessened by its excess. The guys who created this record are fantastically gifted musicians. All they need now is a way to show off their talents properly.
Check out... The brilliance of the musicianship.
Track List:
01. Crash To Oblivion
02. Sinner's Vengeance
03. March Into Hell
04. Blood On My Soul
05. The Grinding Wheels of War
06. The Reapers Shall Gather
07. Arrival
08. Dark Lord
09. Darkness
10. The One Who Walks Alone
11. The Answer
12. Respiration Desperation
13. The Neutral Zone
14. Life Or Death
15. On and On
16. Ashes To Ashes
17. Leaving It All Behind
18. Watching
19. Sad Wings
20. Grant Me Peace
Artist's website(s): Fallen Angel | MySpace | Facebook
