When comparing Fall of Ideals with the bands’ previous work, one thing is immediately apparent. The peaks and valleys are much more dramatic on the new CD. By this I mean the melodies are more melodic and the heavier parts are heavier. While on This Darkened Heart, the band made use of clean vocals in only a few of the songs, the new album sees the band using clean vocals on most of the songs. The clean vocals may ruin the CD for some listeners, but the fact of the matter is that vocalist Phil Labonte has an exceptional voice. He seamlessly nails the transitions from death growls to emotive singing, and he has to be considered one of the top vocalists in the metalcore scene today. The guitar players also bring a lot to the table, and Iron Maiden inspired dual guitar harmonies and solos are tastefully sprinkled throughout the disc. It is certainly refreshing to hear soloing in metalcore. As a final positive, the band opted not to include a cheesy all clean vocal ballad.

I have listed the good attributes with the album, now what about the bad? Well, as with most metalcore, the album suffers in its lack of originality. The band is certainly skilled, but they stick a little too closely to the metalcore playbook of harsh vocal verses and clean vocal choruses. The songs may be catchy and powerful, but their impact wears thin quickly due to the fact that nearly all have the same structure. A little more experimentation would have helped make a good album into a great album. It has been all too easy for metal critics to mindlessly bash all metalcore. However, doing so ignores the fact that some of these bands do put out quality releases. With The Fall of Ideals, All That Remains have come out with one of these noteworthy albums. Though it may not be revolutionary, it will still keep them at the pinnacle of the crowded pile of metalcore wannabes.

written by Scott Huffard

Playing time: 38.59