Album/EP

For The Fallen Dreams – For The Fallen Dreams (Album Review)

Walladmin

Heavy Metal Wordsmith

Mar 13, 2023

7 min read

For The Fallen Dreams – For The Fallen Dreams
Released: March 10, 2023

Lineup:

Chad Ruhlig // Unclean + Clean Vocals
Jim Hocking // Guitar + Clean Vocals
Damon Austen Tate // Guitar
Kalan Blehm // Bass
Marc Esses // Drums

For The Fallen Dreams online:

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For The Fallen Dreams return to drop their seventh album, the self-titled ‘For The Fallen Dreams’. It has been five years since their last effort ‘Six’. What have they got in-store for us?

Let’s start with the five singles: ‘What If’, ‘Sulfate’, ‘RE-Animate’, ‘No Heaven’, and ‘Last One Out’. My boy Ricky has covered all of these tracks except for ‘Last One Out’, and I largely mirror his sentiment. While they all feature huge, sing-along choruses, ‘Sulfate’ and ‘RE-Animate’ display the bands heavier side, nu-metal rap-styled verses are flexed on ‘What If’ and ‘Last One Out’, and ‘No Heaven’ delivers those power-ballad feels (and don’t get me started on that ripper of an opening riff). In summary, these numbers pretty much cover the spectrum of what to expect from the rest of the album.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zN7CGzjllsU

‘Testify’ and ‘Chemical’ will have listeners banging their heads and pumping their fists, both featuring groovy riffs and anthemic choruses. The nu-metal influence again features throughout the verses of ‘Testify’, giving way ever so briefly for a gnarly little riff-down about 2-minutes in. ‘Chemical’ takes a more aggressive approach to its verses, with chugging guitars, pummeling double-kicks, and vicious vocals.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1Wi-LbGwIY

‘Without You’ and ‘Searching…’ are both ballad-type tracks, with melancholic choruses. ‘Without You’ leans more into the softer melodic side of the band and features a nice guitar solo, whereas ‘Searching…’ being the heavier of the two tunes, delves deeper, opening with a chunky riff that gives way into those nu-metal styled rap-vocals during the verses. While being ballad-y, the band still get their heavy on, and both songs feature pretty hefty breakdowns.

‘Suprapersonal’ is a standout for me. The aggressive vocals during the short and snappy verses, one of the best choruses on the album, and that sick squealing guitar riff during the second verse all build perfectly into that neck-snapping breakdown. Easily the most unique tune is ‘Lavender’, those lo-fi drums, melodic keys, and pain-filled vocals just building so well into that heavy, yet-catchy chorus.

For The Fallen Dreams' seventh offering brings about a more mature sound for the band, continuing their trajectory into the cleaner side of vocals – though they do mix it up a little with some rap-styled verses. While the songs themselves are well written, they mostly follow a somewhat generic formula, and it gets a little boring if I’m completely honest. The mix on the album is solid, with all the instruments and vocals sounding huge and crisp, providing a balanced and full soundscape. Overall, this album should scratch the itch of loyal fans, but I don’t think it’s going to blow anyone’s mind.