Fallen To Flux, the latest in a long line of hopeful up-and-comers from London’s burgeoning underground rock and metal scene, are an odd proposition.
On the surface everything appears to be pretty cut and dry, with some ‘Straight Outta Slam Dunk’ pop-rock melding harmoniously alongside some distinctively early-noughties metal. Delve deeper into the bowels of the record, however, and you’ll uncover a vast array of sonic nods to a whole plethora of bands and genres. There are bits of exquisitely crafted tech-metal reminiscent of Tesseract and Periphery, shades of pop-punk not too dissimilar to the likes of Neck Deep and WSTR and, perhaps most impressively, glimmers of alt-rock cherry-picked from the Billy Talent school of bastardisation.
While all of this diversity is undoubtedly impressive, it’s not all sunshine, rainbows and picnics in the Algarve.; there are chunks of this record that drift into rather formulaic territory which, given the unquestionable ability that each member of the band possesses, is something that should never be allowed to happen. ‘Transitions’ also borders on being too sugary-sweet at times, almost lacking any form of measurable bite or aggression. Still, compare this to your bog-standard ‘eat-sleep-breakdown-repeat’ metalcore offering and you at least emerge with something a great deal more interesting and unique.
If there’s one area that this record truly excels at, however, it’s having big ol’ hooks worthy of ensnaring Jaws itself. Accompanying these razor-sharp riffs is a vocal performance that is just as noteworthy for its eclecticism as it is for its quality. There are tonnes of influences bubbling away beneath the surface, with clear vocal mannerisms lifted from the likes of Coheed and Cambria’s Claudio Sanchez and Panic! At The Disco’s creative juggernaut Brendan Urie. Throw in a smidge of Welshman Matt Tuck’s crooning melodies and you’ve pretty much hit the nail on the head.
The overriding feeling from this record, is one of a band just starting to find their feet; there are experimental elements littered throughout that epitomise this, with a near 50/50 split between those that pay-off and those that threaten to drag the record down into the mire of mediocrity. While this erratic dynamic might prove too challenging for some listeners, there is plenty of reward to be found for those who are willing to persevere and forgive the occasional missteps. Fallen To Flux may be guilty of trying to run before they can walk then, but when you have a band with as much creative potential as this, only a narrow-minded, downtrodden cynic would be willing to turn a blind eye…
