22nd October 2021

Review: “Kraken” by Fathom Farewell

A Melodic Metalcore act from New England who have made a name for themselves with a trio of EPs (“Consume The Earth” in 2019, “Decomposition” in 2017 and “Drowning Limits” in 2015), while sharing the stage with bands such as Sevendust, Devil Wears Prada and Hatebreed as well as playing at festivals including Van’s Warped Tour and New England Metal and Hardcore Fest, Fathom Farewell have returned with what they are promising is their heaviest material to date, which could be the reason for “Kraken” appearing via Blood Blast Distribution the imprint label of Nuclear Blast. There has been a line up change since the EP was recorded with the band now consisting of Dustin Black (Bass), James Frost (Guitar), Alex Cohen (Vocals), Chantz Mello (Guitar) and Casey Albiero (Drums) with guitarist Steve Almon stepping aside.

The first thing that springs to mind when “Kraken” kicks in is the combination of 2003 era Metalcore vibes with a chorus that is reminiscent of We Came As Romans at their finest. Cohen has an impressive vocal range, able to hold down the clean sung choruses as effortlessly as the unclean rantings, the only bit that doesn’t fit being the autotunage at the very start that needs time to grow on the listener like poison ivy growing up the walls. Going one step heavier, “Eulogy” brings the guitar work into a more intricate realm while also showing off some pre DJent chops post chorus and fortunately they have their style nailed and so don’t lose any of the all important energy when the cleans hit. There some intriguing leads “In Time” that are buried in the mix and partially lost in favour of a bigger drum sound, the bigger chorus being perfectly suited to the bigger stages due to its anthemic nature but could use a bit of polish in terms of mixing and mastering to get it to fulfill its potential. Returning to the more aggressive verses “Nameless City” brings the swagger with DJent fueled riffs while having some glorious melodies to accompany the introspective lyrical themes. There are places where this could be a Veil Of Maya demo, something which is a testament to the quality of the well crafted music on show. The energy is on point, the choruses are stunning and the riff attacks hit in waves so when “Save Your Breath” hits with a few almost ethnic vibes it’s a stone cold winner. An EP which grows in stature as it plays out, this one sees Fathom Farewell crying out for a full length with the assistance of statue in the producers chair to iron out the odd little idea that doesn’t quite pay off as you’d expect and they’d be very much at the top of the list for tour support for the likes of Erra and August Burns Red. It’s as simple as that. So here’s one to savour from a band who will be the next big thing [7/10]

Track listing