‘Witness’ – Blessthefall’s album of 2009 – was not only their first album on Fearless Records but their first with new vocalist Beau Bokan, replacement of Craig Mabbitt. Two years on, the metalcore fivesome are back with their second Fearless release - ‘Awakening’. With hardcore being a scene growing at rapid speed, it’s difficult to find a band who push forward and innovate with their music and, currently, the jury is still out as to whether blessthefall are the men for the job.
Teaming the regular breakdowns with a melodic metal vibe, abrasive screams with smooth vocals the band tick all the requirements of their genre with ease. ‘Awakening’ – the album’s opening track – allows a slight anthemic build up (admittedly, if you’re a fan of The Blackout you might be unable to shake ‘We Are The Children of the Night’ as you listen...) into the screeching second number ‘Promised Ones’; a fast paced kick of aggression and pulse.
‘I’m Bad News, In The Best Way’ allows guitars to step to the forefront without overuse of breakdowns. Catchy licks, melodic vox and a catchy chorus create a personal favourite track of the record. ‘Undefeated’ fades into a similar suit of praise. Teaming their breakdowns with neat guitar work, the band hit another high of the album.
’40 Days...’ alludes to a somewhat quieter track, but you’d be mistaken. In an act of explosive surprise, the song flits between the heavy drum beats of breakdowns to a simpler, smoother hardcore ballad, if the like was possible. Refusing to dwindle in power, the slower efforts of the record command attention as much as the faster, more aggressive counterparts.
 The record closes with ‘Meet Me At The Gates’, the 12 minute track that sees the band team a more muted sound with the regular strong vocal and guitar work, heavier parts and complete fade outs working seamlessly together in a track. Silence strikes around half way through before picking up a minute from the end with muffled vocals fading out to a close... It is simply a culmination of all musical elements of the album.
The views on ‘Awakening’ are conflicting. Overall it’s enjoyable, catchy at parts, ticks all the ‘requirements’ you’d expect from an album such as this, but there’s just something missing... Admittedly, put this in a live capacity and you’ll get a grand response, thriving pits and dancing, but on disc there’s something lacking.
All branches of hardcore and metalcore are still in need of someone to dominate them, personally at least, and with an album like this there’s a certain desire to hear that ‘click’ as someone steps up to take control. Sadly, this was not the album and they are not the band – yet, at least. That’s the only criticism. This is a good album, it has its strengths – picking up where their last album left off and taking it up a notch – yet that desire to find the band at the forefront of the genre is yet to be fulfilled. Perhaps with their next album, I will happily retract my cynicism.
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