| All That Remains The Fall of Ideals |
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 | Tracklist:
1. This Calling
2. Not Alone
3. It Dwells In Me
4. We Stand
5. Whispers (I Hear You)
6. The Weak Willed
7. Six
8. Become The Catalyst
9. The Air That I Breathe
10.Empty Inside
11.Indictment
Release Date: 2006 | Ranking: #132 for 2006 | |
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On 75 Lists
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20 of 21 thought this review was well written
All That Remains's second major release is somewhat anticipated, but more so by fans such as I. After hearing two singles from The Fall of Ideals, I have to say, my expectations were running high. I went to Best Buy as soon as I could, hoping they were on the shelves, it being the day it was to come out. After listening to the whole thing all the way through more than once, I feel that I have a good idea about the overall feel of this album, and what a good one it is.
All That Remains is:
Philip Labonte - Vocals
Mike Martin - Guitar
Oli Herbert - Guitar
Shannon Lucas - Drums
Jeanne Sagan - Bass
The disc starts off with quite a bang. With the inhale of Phil, the band commences with a wall of sound; a quick riff, blazing drums, and one hell of a scream. This Calling is a great track to start off with since it contains all of the elements ATR has to offer. The guitars can go anywhere from a fast chugging to a quite melodic riff to original solos. As with the rest of the band, the guitars have definitely stepped up their game. They run straight through the songs and set a fast-paced tempo very well. Each song flows very nicely. Adam D. does a fantastic job with this album; everything sounds good. In the "thank you's" section, Phil actually thanks "Jo-Al" (from Killswitch Engage) for their guitar tone. ATR have used a fair amount of riffs that were heavy, but at the same time melodic and catchy. This album too has riffs of this kind, featured in It Dwells In Me, We Stand, and Six among others. The solos: wow. The solos have dramatically progressed. Making longer ones and more of them, the solos are a must-listen for any guitar fan. The guitar parts, more notably the leads and solos, on This Darkened Heart were a bit unorthodox and quite original. The Fall Of Ideals elaborates on this trend and further proves the talent of the guitarists in this band.
The drums are a similar story. With a new guy behind the kit, the percussive side of the music has stepped up in a big way. Shannon is basically a beast. The guy uses his left foot as much as his right, and knows how to do it well. Their last drummer wasn't bad, but Shannon gives ATR a different sound with his great speed and good double bass riffs. Mike Bartlett (drummer from previous album) was talented, but it was almost as if he slowed the music down with more simplistic stuff at times when more was needed. Shannon delivers in those aspects, as in most of the album, and blazes right through. Despite that, he also knows how to serve the song and not overplay (every chorus can demonstrate that). I haven't heard of him before, but he is quickly becoming one of my favorite drummers at this time.
It was my belief that Phil did a good job on "This Darkened Heart". He had few clean parts, but when he did sing, it was good. I also thought his screaming, both low and high, were good, especially for the metalcore genre. Apparently though, he worked with Melissa Cross, so improvement is noticed right away. Phil also picked up a technique: brutal growls. Featured primarily on The Weak Willed, Phil let's out some pretty brutal lines along with a violent screech. He mostly uses a "normal" scream, you know, your average and basic scream. But the fluctuations he provides are enough for any heavy metal fan. Now, his brutal growls aren't exactly Necrophagist-esque, but they aren't necessarily expendable. If he wanted, Phil could branch out to other genre's and fit right in. Don't be fooled; Phil doesn't revolved around his screams. He does a lot of the "Killswitch thing" now, meaning he screams in the verses and sings in the chorus. There wasn't much of that happening on the last album, but this one features much of that. The job is well done too. Phil is a force to be reckoned with in the metal genre. Some thought his voice was weak on their last effort, but there is a possibility those doubters will have more consideration for Phil after a full spin of this disc.
Amongst Adam Dutkiewicz's many talents, he is a great producer. After tackling his own band's albums, he has many other credits to his name, including this one now. Everything about the sound is crisp and clear. The guitar tones are blended well, the drums aren't stale, but the bass is rarely heard. Overall though, the mix is tight and sounds great. Nothing is overwhelming or out of place. Adam D. continues to display his abilities at the helm of any band, not just his.
To sum this album up, there are fast, slow, and raging guitar parts. The drums rarely let up, leaving you beat and thrashed. And with a monster behind the mic, the blend is a great result. Yet at the same time, there is some clean guitar, mellow drums, and an improved clean voice spread within the beast that is this album. I think the term "extreme metalcore" could do the trick, but I'm not one for labels. So I will leave it to your determination.
Pros:
1. Phil has definitely shown improvement
2. Shannon brings killer new drums, adding a new feel to the band
3. The guitars, especially the solos, and the breakdowns
Cons:
1. Where's the bass?
2. Most songs are good, but some seem more dispensable
3. Some might argue that many songs sound similar after a few listens through
Recommended tracks:
This Calling
The Weak Willed
Six
The Air That I Breathe
Rating: 7.10/10
-Josh D.
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| Recent reviews by this author | | | |
Album Rating: 3.5
This is my first non-TBT review, so be nice and please tell me how to improve.
Digging: Between The Buried And Me - The Great Misdirect | | |
Great review. You're getting better with each one, you just need to write more now 
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Good review. I've been hearing All That Remains' name around for awhile now, so I'll have to check them out.
| | | Album Rating: 4
Very good review. I can't wait to pick this up and give it a spin.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
This was a solid review, but I'm bummed that you beat me to the punch. :thumb:
Digging: Circle Takes The Square - As The Roots Undo | | | Album Rating: 3.5
Ha. Well, I was planning on submitting this yesterday since that was it's release day, but I got caught up (girl problems, All Star Game, etc.). So I finished it today.
Thanks for the comments. And yes, I do plan on writing more. I didn't know how short it was until I viewed the submitted version. I might add more soon.
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this is a great review but can u please tell me wat are the best songs to download, i usually download 4 before buying the album
ive only heard this calling a the weak willed
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is anyone sick of these crap band names?
Good review.
| | | Album Rating: 4
Is anyone sick of Neoteric's bad name changes?
Solid review, dude. Good work. I may buy this one eventually, but I actually might go with their debut instead.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
Oh snap. Great review.
Digging: Converge - Axe To Fall | | |
Good review, although I thought you would have more than just 3 out. You should have more you've been around for some time now *wags finger*
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Very good review, and very good album. I'm especially partial to The Weak Willed it just shows how many different styles of vocals Phil Lebonte can pull off.
Digging: And We Danced - The Koppenheffer Sessions
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
Good review, although I thought you would have more than just 3 out. You should have more you've been around for some time now *wags finger*
I know, I know. I'm lazy.
I'm especially partial to The Weak Willed it just shows how many different styles of vocals Phil Lebonte can pull off.
That's what draws me to Phil's vocals.
| | | Album Rating: 4
This album is so different than their previous work it barely even sounds like the same band which is SUCH a good thing seeing as their other album was horrid. Great review by the way.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
The opening track is incredibly strong, so I can't wait to pick this up. Labonte's clean vocals have gotten even better than on the last album.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
This album is so different than their previous work it barely even sounds like the same band which is SUCH a good thing seeing as their other album was horrid. Great review by the way.
Yeah, that's something people should know about this album. If anyone didn't like TDH, then you will be in for a surprise when you hear this, so listen to it.
The opening track is incredibly strong, so I can't wait to pick this up. Labonte's clean vocals have gotten even better than on the last album.
His vocals overall got better. His clean voice was good, he just improved more.
| | | Album Rating: 4
I love how Adam takes the strengths of a band and only makes them shine even more.
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i love this album more than this darkened heart its serisouly everyhting i expected and more i love how phil can do almost all vocal ranges, straight screaming,death metal growls,black metal shrieks,clean vocals/melodic vocals i cant beleive he could have been the lead singer for killswitch engage! i serisously prefer him over howard jones and i prefer all that remains over killswitch engage anyday these guys are amazing my only problem is they need to make longer songs its like hey this is an amazing song! then its over! i hope the next cd they make emphasis a little more on song lengths
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Hey wuts up man i haven't been on here in a while and the first thing i do is check up on one of my favorite bands and see you did a review. Nice job man i'm glad this band is finally getting some attention around here. Oh yea and I'd also like to add that i'd take ATR over KSE or SF any day.
Digging: Megadeth - Cryptic Writings | | | Album Rating: 3.5
I don't know, KsE is KsE. I have liked ATR for a while, and they are improving, but ranking them above KsE is difficult for me. I like so much of KsE, and I have for a long time.
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