ENVY THE FALLEN

'Hoist the Colours' is the debut EP from West Country metalcore crew Envy the Fallen. Actually, according to their Facebook page, they believe themselves to be "melodic hardcore" which one could argue is more or less the same as branding your band with the metalcore tag anyway. Whatever the case, Envy the Fallen are one of many bands currently plaguing the scene that have succumbed to sonic genericism. So much so, in fact, with the six formulaic cuts that constitute this EP, that I almost wish I had a standard, generic review I could simply copy and paste for records such as this one. However, that would be entirely lazy, although it actually becomes a struggle to think of anything new to say about a band when the music they make is so utterly unoriginal itself. So let's start with the end, the final track of the EP that is unimaginatively titled 'The Ending'. That has a glimmer of originality. Or, rather, that should read a glimmer of variance as two thirds through the track and some neat programming kicks in with a piano accompaniment to add a touch of melancholy and more ambient-based melodies. It's a welcome breather from the banality that's rife throughout the rest of the EP although it's far too little and far too late. Preceding it is largely songs that follow a metalcore paradigm. However, what saves the EP from imploding in its own mimicry is that everything's so skilfully performed and with a great, fully resonant production and mix. So 'Hoist the Colours' is, at least, a nice sounding record, it's just a shame that it's so generic. These guys will need to vary their songwriting a fuck of a lot more if they stand any vague chance of getting noticed amongst the mass of similarly generic bands out there at the moment.

LABEL:

FORMAT:

Self-released

EP

HOIST THE COLOURS

Review by Mark Holmes

RUNNING TIME:

22:44

RELEASE DATE:

19th March 2012

TRACK LISTING

1) The Brave One
2) Hoist the Colours
3) The Is Not Goodbye
4) I Will Prevail
5) Until Lambs Become Lions
6) The Ending

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:

UK

"... largely songs that follow a metalcore paradigm."