Review: “Counterfeit Reflections” by fallfiftyfeet

“As you grow older you lose people, you lose parts of yourself you might have thought you would never lose, and it makes you lose a sense of reality at times. You have to come to terms with things you thought were set in stone and could never change. If you can’t do that, then your losses will haunt you.” ~ James Becca, guitars and vocals

Recorded with Andy Nelson (Weekend Nacos, Pain Of Truth, Whispers) at Bricktop Recordings and mastered by Kris Crummett (Sufferer, Elyose, The Devil Wears Prada) at Interlace Audio, the anticipation of a sophomore album titled “Counterfeit Reflections” by fallfiftyfeet has reached fever pitch thanks to a couple of music videos directed and edited by Eric DiCarlo (Bodysnatcher, Casketmaker, Signs Of The Swarm) ‪SquareUp Studios‬. Balancing Metalcore with Melodic Alternative Metal the trio comprising vocalist Dave Wallace, guitarist and vocailst James Becca and guitarist Anthony “Chaboy” Buck have built a reputation for themselves with a DIY or DIE approach, landing shows opening for Underoath and Seeyouspacecowboy in the process…

Opening cut “Obituaries” begins with a simple statement “Warning: This album contains everything your parents hate, the government fears, and the church preaches against. Enjoy.” before thunderous percussion, rumbling bass and powerful guitars bring the walls down. The emotive almost Post-Hardcore qualities of the vocals in the 52 second burst feel like a shot across the bows and when “The Kingsport Curse” appears on the horizon, the second shot hits the target. A cacophony of rhythmic grooves, pinch harmonics and brutal breakdowns with flavours of Every Time I Die at their heaviest hammer home the vocal message with call to arms, let alone the mosh pit. After that knuckleduster gut punch, the emotive vocals return with an aching performance during the introduction to the title track “Counterfeit Recollections“. They soon become screams of agony as chaotic and technical riffs in staccato breaks take hold, the punchy verse then descending back into lush clean vocals with a rich melody from the previously punishing guitars. The contrast is stark and yet the three piece make it sound effortless with slick transitions so you move from the edge of the seat to settling back and watching it all unfold calmly. Wallace’s bass becomes a rhythm guitar during the first half of  “Disarrangement“, the combination of barbed and chaotic sonic abrasions with screamed vocals once again placed in juxtaposition with smoother, calmer moments as if to echo the mind of a straight jacket wearer in the asylum. Acting out in raw emotional chaos before being sedated once more by the next injection of powerful mind bending drugs.

A sample provides a fleeting moment of respite before the sharpened knives come out once more with “Running from the Sky“, the furious vocals and crushing Metalcore guitars giving this two minute tale which instantly reminds of the classic children’s fable “Chicken Licken” a brutal backbone. As if to prove that variety is very much the spice of life without slowing down or losing any of the lightening bolt trapped in a bottle energy “Best Revenge” brings back some of the clean vocals. Contrasting them with the uncleans and some surprisingly upbeat riffs helps give this one sing-a-long appeal, as if taking a page from the early From Autumn to Ashes career song book. The huge breakdown section at the end of this one may not be entirely unexpected because fallfiftyfeet keep you on your toes but it certainly hits harder than you might have thought – again, the law of maximum contrast for maximum impact being applied to glorious effect. The push and pull of these songs is a major part of their appeal and how fallfiftyfeet are able to maintain that later on in their career will be interesting to watch and hear from a distance. Punishing breakdown based rhythms give “Phantom Growing Pains” savage moments before programming and haunting clean vocals give the song a moment of clarity in calm reflection. But you know full well that they’re going to go super heavy again, it’s just a matter of when. A slight crack in the almost unhinged clean vocal is the tell a poker player looks for and boom! the three piece knock it out of the park for another home run. How about 10 seconds of wrap around acoustic guitars that remind of “Sincerity Is an Easy Disguise in This Business” era Evergreen Terrace? Why not? The ideas are abundant and the band shoehorn in as many of them as humanly possible. Another sub two minute bone snapper with a lethal set of pitch harmonics “Horror Tropes” slaps so hard you wake up in hospital next week.

Continuing the intense and chaotic collection, “Still Collide” feels like you’re about to get hit by meteorite like, an almost Jazz like passage sounding like the kind of thing you might expect from The Fall Of Troy. Slick tempo changes, unhinged uncleans, savage roars and the violent turbulence of the first Final Destination movie are all captured here and leave you in a cold sweat, the band setting a genre marker down with ease. How about 90’s breakbeats? “Purgatory Blues” sounds like Slipknot met Vein.fm down a dark alley with a baseball bat. On a record that is the metaphorical equivalent of going to a restaurant and ordering one of everything off the dessert menu, it’s as much fun as you can have without losing a limb, an adrenaline rush from start to finish. On paper it should sound like utter bedlam but in reality its a piece of art of depth and texture which paints a clear picture. The rough and tumble of “Bane of My Existence” features guest appearances by both 156/Silence and Princess and is a cathartic vent about a parasitic narcissistic individual who is a thorn in the side. Ripping and tearing with razor sharp riffs coming from all directions, this one slaps harder than a Walls of Jericho cut on steroids. After the furious tirade a piano and vocal sample adds a bit of Saloon Bar flair to the track before setting up the grand finale “For the Sake of Completion” which features buriedbutstillbreathing wonderfully. A fine example of how well thought out this album is, the gentle breeze with an expression of pain swiftly becomes a punchy Metallic Hardcore core with bouncy breakdowns and rumbling bass. The clean chorus soars over the flames of the ferocity before a savage breakdown with technical turn arounds that are nothing short of glorious and the “You won’t like what I’m becoming!” feels like the band have gone full beast mode [9/10]

Track Listing

1. Obituaries
2. The Kingsport Curse
3. Counterfeit Recollections
4. Disarrangement
5. Running from the Sky
6. Best Revenge
7. Phantom Growing Pains
8. Horror Tropes
9. Still Collide
10. Purgatory Blues
11. Bane of My Existence (ft. 156/Silence and Princess)
12. For the Sake of Completion (ft. buriedbutstillbreathing)

“Counterfeit Reflections” by fallfiftyfeet is out 2nd May 2025