Rise to Fall – The Fifth Dimension
Release Date: 9th June 2023
Label: Noble Demon
Bandcamp
Genre: Melodic Death Metal, Metalcore.
FFO: Soilwork, In Flames, Killswitch Engage, Trivium, As I Lay Dying.
Review By: Rick Farley
Northern Spain’s Rise to Fall was formed in the city of Bilbao in 2006. The band has established themselves as being a devastating live act with numerous tours across Europe and headlining tours in Japan and China, as well as touring alongside Soilwork. Following their last release Into Zero in 2018, the band is prepared for their next chapter with the release of their fifth full length album, The Fifth Dimension on Noble Demon.
Rise to fall is a catchy melodic death metal band leaning on the side of metalcore, which instantly will raise comparisons to the metalcore versions of In Flames and Soilwork. And fairly so, Rise to Fall do little to separate themselves from the pact concerning this tired genre. Let’s be honest here, there’s not going to be a resurgence of 2000s era metalcore anytime soon. Unlike old school death metal, metalcore will not be making a comeback. That’s not to say however that this is a failure of a record because truthfully it’s actually enjoyable. It’s very well produced, has hooky metallic songs, and will surely be liked by many. The problem for me personally is that I’ve already heard this album a hundred times over, and so have you. The combination of this album being interchangeable with a number of other dated albums that have already been there done that, and the fact that Rise to Fall’s own sound is indistinguishable from release to release, makes me feel that they’re nothing more than mediocre clones who are not interested in being even remotely original. If that’s true, then so be it. I can respect that, but as a fan of music, for me, The Fifth Dimension is only worth a few spins, and then it would be set aside never to heard from again. I can’t reiterate enough though, that’s not because Rise to Fall is not insanely talented or unable to write good songs, that’s just not the reason. My assessment is solely based on the fact that this would have been a rather good release twenty years ago. A little late to the party, if you will.
With all that said, The Fifth Dimension still remains a solid record, especially for those who are still fans of the genre. The songwriting is thoughtful, with lots of energy and some really great riffs. Super polished production takes some bite away from the overall sound, but it stills rocks pretty hard. Huge clean melodies with screamed verses are a little formulaic but effective. Musically everyone here is clearly skilled, and it shines through with fast razor sharp riffs, technical solos, pounding drums patterns and fiercely screamed vocals. Everything is tight and performed with serious vigour. Tons of melody is scattered throughout the record, whether it’s those emotional cleans or silky layered guitar harmonies. I can clearly hear how well this would translate to a live setting.
This may end up being a take it or leave it sort of release, and I can see both sides of that. It’s a tough sell for me to sit here and tell you that this is as good as In Flames or Soilwork, or that this doesn’t sound at times exactly like those two bands. You might as well just listen to those albums. Hell, they even enlisted Björn “Speed” Strid for additional vocals on Intruder.
This is not the review I was hoping for but give it a spin and see for yourself.
(3 / 5)
