BLESSTHEFALL

Metalcore is a broad umbrella, and that makes for some interesting releases tied to the musical style. Pioneering metalcore band BLESSTHEFALL is a shining example of the genre, but the band has never catered to how people thought metalcore was supposed to sound.

While BLESSTHEFALL has been referred to as a faith-based, Christian band, their music appeals to those outside of that faith, too. In a sense, they're like bands such as P.O.D. and SKILLET that have fans of many beliefs, although their music sounds nothing like those aforementioned groups.

BLESSTHEFALL's new album, "Gallows", marks the group's first studio album in seven years, and their maturity really comes out on this release. While the overall sound and style of "Gallows" goes back to their roots, the songwriting and performance on the set shows just how far BLESSTHEFALL have come since forming in the mid-2000s.

BLESSTHEFALL vocalist Beau Bokan has been adamant that this album comes from a place of excitement and artistic freedom, and listening to songs such as album opener "mallxcore" and the lightning-fast "Venom", it's obvious this band is making music for themselves and not trying to follow any trends. While they could have gone SLEEP TOKEN on the release, like so many other metalcore bands have done, they stick with their own sound, not copying the trendy sound of the moment.

One of the things that's most refreshing about "Gallows" is that even though it's a heavy album, packed with screams and harsh breakdowns, it's also melodic and has the kind of singable choruses that will appeal to a wider audience. "Somebody Else" is a beautifully melodic track, with Bokan's yearning vocals dancing over atmospheric, upbeat guitars, until the breakdown kicks in, which is heavy and offers one of the harshest moments on the album.

Meanwhile, "Drag Me Under" and "Y.S.A.B." don't even pretend to be melodic, instead showing that BLESSTHEFALL can still churn out a rhythmic, gut-punching track that stands up to the heaviest metalcore bands around today.

"Gallows" takes the listener on a beautiful musical journey, backed with singalong choruses, and catchy hooks, but also dark, visceral screaming and relentless breakdowns. The album shows that even more than 20 years into their musical journey, BLESSTHEFALL are evolving. It will be fascinating to see where the group's next 20 years lead.