THE ETERNAL FALL
As The Time Goes
Longing, perversion, melancholy, drama... the spectrum of feelings and emotions stirred by The Eternal Fall's music is huge. Throughout this new outing, mastermind Sol unleashes his inner demons and thereby shows us his darkest side. Thus, "As the time goes" is an immersive and tortuous journey within the artist's mind, leading through such rare destinations as infancy, phobia or the threshold of death. Music plunges us into a dreamy realm built on the experiences that have marked Sol's life - particularly in the recent times. Heartrending vocals, distant-sounding guitars and surrounding keyboards give shape to those memories with accuracy. Furthermore, this release is completed with a DVD which truly reflects the haunting imagery and the cinematic feel conveyed by the CD. It includes a short film consisting of nostalgic throwback-inspired videoclips, as well as some endearing Stop-Motion animations that speak volumes about the artist's dimension. Therefore, The Eternal Fall's tenth album is their more complex and substantial work to date, just thirteen years after the project's inception in Alicante (Spain). Figuratively speaking, the album's concept is displayed in parentheses. Two tracks enclose Sol's intimate reflections about existence and its subsequent pain. The opening one, "In Hell", leaves no doubt about where we're entering through the hoarse singing. Meantime, the lines of harpsichord, piano and synth begin to set up the eerie atmosphere that enconsces the entire repertoire. With the closing one, "Welcome To My Hell", the trip comes to a discouraging end. Sol resigns himself to wrestle with his anxieties and fears. In his own words: "... sometimes is better not to know the truth as it hurts too much". Musically, this piece recalls Fields of the Nephilim's signature quiet yet weird intros, except that in this case there's no storm coming after the calm. Minor chords and arpeggios on the piano imbue this tune with a mournful air and, as a metaphor for the dejection on the lyrics, the croons are gradually reduced until they disappear. Between both imaginary boundaries, the tunes follow one another as in a slideshow of veiled remembrances. Sometimes Sol's flawless moans stand out against minimalist backdrops, weaving together synthetic winds, mild guitars, worrying noises and subtle classic arrangements. To see what I mean, pick up the ethereal "The Beginning Of And End" or the moving "The Other Side", where the singer's timbre reaches its highest peak of desperation. Following that path, you can also find "Inside Of Me", which has much of Anathema's "Eternity" evoking environments, or "While The Children Cry", whose church organ and weeping infants samples give it an unsettling flair. All of them are representative of The Eternal Fall's personal twist of Dark Wave ambiances. But though obviously melancholic, not every song in this CD is slow and bleak. For instance, "This Voices" has an anthemic Goth Rock driving based on jangly guitars and steady drum beats, as well as "Learning To Death", which is adorned in addition with delicate string melodies. In "The Alchemist", the initial guitar-neck soloing leads into solid riffs with a little metal chugging. For its part, "Punishment"is a nightmarish midtempo where throaty vocals, assertive distortions and wailing melodies are intertwined with good criteria. Overall "As The Time Goes" provides gloom in its beautiful form, endorsing Sol's credibility, finesse and experience as an artist. To put it simply, what awaits you here is dark music sounding just like the feelings do.
Review by Billyphobia
- 01. In Hell
- 02. The Beginning Of The End
- 03. First Pain
- 04. This Voices
- 05. Inside Of Me
- 06. The Alchemist
- 07. The Other Side
- 08. Punishment
- 09. Learning The Death
- 10. While The Children Cry
- 11. Corpses
- 12. Empty World
- 13. Welcome To My Hell