I have lived in Australia since November 2015 and this is the first time I’ve heard of the band As Paradise Falls. The music scene in Australia is hella different to the one in the US. It feels less supportive here from a word of mouth view but more supportive from a terrestrial radio view. And it feels like ninety percent of Australian artists are cookie cutter (a lot sound the exact same) but for that ten percent that kick the “norm”, they stand out and shine.
That’s what As Paradise Falls does. Stands out.
Quick history of the band: Hailing from Brisbane (Queensland, Australia), As Paradise Falls hit the metal scene with their 2014 EP Save Yourself and successfully toured Australia and New Zealand throughout 2015. In November 2015, while recording in Thailand, the band lost guitarist Glen Barrie and left the project unfinished until 2016 when they regrouped with vocalist Shaun Coar and finished Digital Ritual, releasing it with Eclipse Records in 2017. The band seemed to disappear until 2020 when founding member Danny Kenneally and original vocalist Ravi Sherwell released the single “Bleed for the Crown”.
Now a 2-piece band, As Paradise Falls, headed back to Thailand to work with with Shane Edwards, who worked with them on Digital Ritual to record Madness / Medicine. The 5 track EP is scheduled to be released on September 29 via Eclipse Records.
Let’s dive into Madness / Medicine track by track:
Bats: this song is heavy, thunderous and rather intense musically and lyrically. What I enjoy about this song is that the melody and beats are consistent from start to finish. I’m not given something heavy with it changing to something softer half way through the song or vice versa. At times, Ravi’s vocals on this track remind me of Joel Birch from The Amity Affliction. Not a bad thing as I believe Joel has one of the best “unclean” vocals in the business.
Captain Hero: I’m not sure if the riff is on guitar or bass, but it is infectious AF and reminds me of “Stone” by Alice in Chains. It’s slick, dirty, and gives me a 90’s grunge vibe. It’s my favourite part of the song. Danny says this of the track:
“The meaning of Captain Hero is that life is finite, and it is ultimately pointless despite the value we attribute to it. The more you try to hold onto it the more time you waste and edge closer to the end. With that in mind, why not have fun living your life and be the real you. This video had no meaning, which in turn ties into the foundations of the song. It’s basically just us having some fun… just an exaggeration of an altered state of ourselves and our personalities. We are here to entertain and make you ask yourself why are you taking yourself so seriously when you can be you and have fun.”
KFBR392: Ravi’s voice during the “spoken” part of the beginning of the song gives me an Ivan Moody of Five Finger Death Punch vibes but those soon pass and Ravi’s vocal talent shines through. I really like how he vocally pitches back and forth between a sound of anguish and anger.
Mechanical Hannibals: I have a deep appreciation of vocals that teeter between guttural growls and animalistic cries and Ravi’s vocals do both and his vocals are fucking righteous in this song. Possibly the heaviest song vocally and musically on the album. I get a feeling of animalistic war and survival from this song. The song is not for the weak of ear.
TR4K 1: This track has its moments of glory but as the shortest track on the EP, it feels like it never gets to build up to its potential and the track ends just as it gets good. It is the only song on the EP where I’m left unsatisfied.
Overall, as a first time listener of AFP, I am rather impressed by them. They satiate my need for heavy and melodic music. Madness / Medicine will make fans new and old a hunger for more from the band.
FAVOURITE TRACK: “Captain Hero” – that riff, gives me life
MUST LISTEN TRACK: “KFBR392”
RATING OUT OF 5 ROCK HANDS: 4 ????
Madness / Medicine comes out on September 29 via Eclipse Records
Watch Captain Hero and Bats below
Web: www.asparadisefalls.net
Facebook/Instagram: @asparadisefalls
Twitter: @APF_band
