With Perseverance and dedication, Fall of Man have come a long way since their humble beginnings. Case in point, the Greek melodic, metal-infused punk band’s first album was delayed for years before finally getting released in early 2011. With Fall of Man you get a healthy dose of punk and metal, with some good ol’ rock (especially in a few intros). Like many up and coming acts, there are no shortage of comparisons that can be traced back to their local contemporaries. I personally find that in Greece, the legendary Vodka Juniors often has a presence in a band’s sound. Heck, they’ve been around forever so no surprise there.
On “Promises in Empty Words,” which is the band’s first official release after a slew of demo songs put out here and there, the guys did not go for 100% straight up punk or metal album. Instead, they have a ton of variation in their song writing (kudos to Ion) and wind up with more an amalgamation of both genres. Most of the tunes on this album are 4:00 minutes and up so you get your money’s worth in the end. This release could technically be labeled as an EP with 8 songs but due to the length of the songs, it’s clearly not. Think of it as a metal release: less songs but a ton is packed into each of them.
One of the first songs I heard from the band was “Silence,” which is also on the album. This is the track that originally got me hooked on Fall Of Man. Having a smooth vocalist also really helped in capturing my attention. Ilias, on rhythm guitars/vocals, has this “No Motiv” tone in his delivery that has a very North American feel to it. For many new fans, I am sure Greece (or even Europe) will be the last place they think of when it comes to their origins. I dig key elements like this since it brings attention to a scene that is well worth learning more from.
For a young band, these guys have experimented a lot with their sound and are certainly on the right track. I personally can’t wait to see what the future holds for these young guys and I’m sure that they’ve already got a handful of new songs brewing.
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