Fathom Farewell – Kraken EP
Release Date: 22nd October 2021
Label: Blood Blast Distribution
Pre-Order
Genre: Metalcore, Melodic Metalcore.
FFO: Northlane, Killswitch Engage, August Burns Red, Coheed & Cambria.
Review By: The Demented Raven
This is Fathom Farewell. A band with 3 EP’s under their belt & have been a part of multiple festivals touring with other well known groups.
Kraken is their 4th upcoming EP which starts with the title-track, Kraken, the introduction is interesting & untypical. However, the first thing I notice is the mix/master. It’s not crisp, it is very “crunchy” with the volumes of the instruments (particularly the guitars and drums) and the guitar levels have been boosted a bit too much, which is a shame as the song has so much potential. The silence at the end is a nod for the next track which deals with a serious subject: Mental Health.
Eulogy is a catchy sounding tune despite the subject matter. The band claim it is the heaviest song they have developed instrumentally. I’d say that title goes to Kraken, personally. The song is about the deterioration of mental health & not getting any support or assistance. The deterioration is shown through each verse spanning a range of emotions such as aggression & despair. The screaming vocal mix here with the charging drums is pretty jarring on the mix front but the song itself, it’s a catchy number and I imagine would be a great live number, especially for mosh pit fans. It’s chaotic and catchy in all the right places with a mellow section halfway so you can catch your breath. For a song that discusses the deterioration of mental health, they execute this very well, especially the third verse, which is a nod to the outcome of not receiving the assistance one must need.
The Vocals by Alex Cohen work well with this band, the harmonics and clean vocals aren’t out of place at all and the merging screams in the chorus are also a nice touch.
In Time is an interesting track. And hearing the song, you can see why. Alex is more focused on harmonics on this track much more than the others, yet it works. The song also has a darker vibe compared to the previous two which also includes the slight reverb in Alex’s vocals throughout. The verse harmonics remind me of the likes of Ghost but they can be a bit too robotic in places, which can be off putting, but in all, I enjoyed this one. It definitely stands out on the EP.
A bit of trivia for the next track, Nameless City, a track inspired by an HP Lovecraft short story. Which is amusing as whilst I felt the previous track had a darker vibe, this one’s subject matter is just that & the song portrays that well. This one feels slightly more generic with the vocal placements and execution, however, I’m loving the ominous guitar tones in this one by Chantz Mello & James Frost. The mix/mastering in this one gets a bit much in the chorus, a lot like the first track. However, this isn’t their strongest track here, despite the interesting subject matter.
As for Save Your Breath, the questionable mixing choices here sadly stand one once more. The Drums are far too loud in the introduction, then the guitar gets the same treatment in the first verse. The mix continues to peak throughout, which is off-putting, and a real shame as this song shows a lot of potential, especially with Alex giving everything he’s got here. Unfortunately, the mix is too overpowering in places.
Despite my comments about how the mix could be improved, I actually enjoyed this EP. This band have 3 EP’s under their belt already and have performed with a number of well known bands such as Memphis May Fire, The Devil Wears Prada, Chelsea Grin, CKY, AFI, Psychostick, Hatebreed & more…and for good reason, they do a really good job. Especially under a genre full of many carbon copies with predictable riffs and breakdowns. This is an EP worth checking out and if you look past the questionable mixing, you can clearly hear the potential of this band and why they’ve been making a noise on the scene for some time now. I imagine they’ll put on an even better live show with these new tracks on their setlist!
(3 / 5)
