After a few days of listening to Rise to Fall’s debut album, Restore The Balance, I formulated the perfect sentence to sum the experience up: A melodic, modern metal monster! Hailing from Spain, Rise to Fall initially formed in 2006 and it wasn’t until 2007 that they took on a drummer and completed the lineup that would help catapult them to where they belong. This is when the gears set in motion for the guys and it’s all up hill from here.

Restore The Balance is exactly what the doctor ordered when it comes to melodies that carry on forever in your head, sharp soaring guitar riffs, speedy tempos and menacing aggression. Each song is a solid dose of melodic metal that melds (hold on, I’ve got plenty more words that begin with “m”) staple guitar and rhythm work, complimented by synthesized soundscapes and keyboards. Dalay Tarda’s screams and clean soaring vocals are at the helm of this ship and rightfully so. Amidst the mix of metal and hard-hitting double bass, there are beautiful breakdowns that offer up insight into the true abilities that Hugo Markaida (lead guitar), Javi Martin (rhythm guitar) and Iñigo Lopez (bass) possess. These sections show another side of the band without throwing a wrench into the gears of aggression that were set in motion at the start of the album. They are a nice compliment to the amped up side of the mix.

Dalay will surprise you with his vocals. He can go from blistering screams to sweeping vocals in the chorus lines, and often times reminded me of Björn Ove Ingemar “Speed” Strid (Soilwork). He really commands each track. I’m a total sucker for bouncy, soaring choruses when it comes to melodic metal, and it’s easy to tell that this isn’t Rise to Fall’s first rodeo. Songs like “Rise From Drama” and “…Kills The Reason” will get stuck in your head for days and are bound to make your head move.

You can expect a similar formula throughout Restore The Balance, which at times can get redundant. Despite the fact that I loved this album and played it repeatedly without skipping a track, the arrangements are similar and can be a little repetitive. Regardless, I was a fan of this album from the start of “RedruM”. If you enjoy the first couple tracks, chances are that the rest of it will feed right into your metal desires as well.

There isn’t much to say about Rise to Fall’s debut album Restore The Balance when it comes to downfalls. Overall the album is chock full of heavy, bouncing choruses reminiscent of something you’d hear on a Soilwork album, and a solid performance by the musicians as a whole. I felt that each song demonstrated Rise to Fall’s technical prowess as well as their knack for making memorable metal. Prior to checking out this album, I had absolutely no idea who Rise to Fall was or what they were all about. I even had a bit of trouble finding extensive information on them. This album earned a permanent spot in my album collection and I look forward to what they have in store for us in the future. Definitely check these guys out if you are a fan of bands like Soilwork, In Flames or just melodic metal as a whole. Being a Soilwork fan already, I was pre-conditioned for this album. Restore The Balance is polished and attractive.

4.0/5