Band: Always Fallen
Title: Reflection
Label: Mausoleum
Distribution: Suburban
Release date: 31/01/2010
Review: CD

The Flemish Thrash band Always Fallen became rather popular in the whole of Europe at least within the underground scene, having played live on stage with bands as Maroon, Ensiferum, Fueled By Fire, Stormlord or Sodom, to name but a few; they even performed at the Slovenian Metalcamp festival with bands as Death Angel, Nightwish and Kataklysm (2009). The band, formed in the summer of 2005, did record some mini-material before, and their Mausoleum-debut will cause an international break through, that’s for sure.

Why? Because of several things. First of all the album has been created with craftsmanship. Not only the compositions are strong and convincing, and the performance is more than all right; also the recording assistance of Xavier Carion (Channel Zero, Sons Of Jonathas, Faast Orange), who took care of production and mix, as well as Attie Bauw’s mastering (Judas Priest, Melechesh, Oceans Of Sadness, Scorpions, Thanatos, …), will have to do with it. Or: the sound is massive, powerful, gargantuan.
Yet, even more important, are the band’s musical qualities. The album sounds a an own interpretation of the American Thrash scene – think Testament, Exodus, Bonded By Blood, Sun Descends, Megadeth, early Metallica, etc, but with an own face. The tracks are groovy and melodic at the same time, and it makes the whole not just a cheap copy of the Bay Area (or another) scene.

I need to admit that it does not please me whole the time – from time to time I get a little bored, I’m afraid (but you need to understand that Reflection has duration of an hour, which is pretty long, isn’t it); yet again the average quality gets easily above the average scene nowadays. Lots of American and European bands with more years of experience do not reach this level at all, even in their wildest dreams. And no, it has nothing to do with some subjective chauvinism; this band ís one to pay attention to!
Merciless Thrash Metal with an angry attitude and a deadly touch of loudness!

81/100

Ivan Tibos.