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FALLING LEAVES “The Silence That Binds Us”
FALLING LEAVES “The Silence That Binds Us”
By Dr. Abner Mality
Hailing from the Middle East, FALLING LEAVES are utterly devoted to the “Yorkshire Doom” sound of MY DYING BRIDE and have done their very best to follow that style in every regard. “The Silence That Binds Us” could almost be a new MDB album, but FALLING LEAVES are just a tad short of equalling their inspiration.
Yet they come across so earnest and honest in their mimicry that it’s impossible to dislike the album. It’s well played, well recorded and infused with real sadness. Every aspect of MY DYING BRIDE is imitated...the somber piano, the slow tempos that grow into ponderous death-doom riffs, the sad clean vocals that turn into growls, the weeping guitar leads. All songs here follow the pattern. Even the lyrics are almost a parody of the style, with constant references to “despair”, “silence”, “shadows”, “ashes” and all the phrases associated with Gothic doom.
On tracks like “We Are Alone” and “The Visions of the Forsaken”, FALLING LEAVES nail the style so well, you could easily imagine them coming from the misty moors of Yorkshire instead of the sands of Jordan, which is their actual home. Vocalist Bashar Haroun tries mightily to reach the level of his idol Aaron Stainthorpe, but just misses...his growls are not as deep, his cleans not quite as pained. Yet he still does a fine job.
There’s been some question as to whether MY DYING BRIDE will continues as a band. If they do indeed hang it up, FALLING LEAVES is a more than suitable replacement.
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