Album Review: Face Down Hero – False Evidence Appearing Real (Yonah Records)

The sixth album from Face Down Hero comes 3 years after their last & is due to be released on April 21st 2017 via Yonah Records.

Regarding the lyrical content, the band explains: “The songs are about the daily insanity worldwide, sorrow but also about hope and yes also love – so you can see even with the lyrics we won’t set us any borders – cause borders are rarely a good thing in any kind”.

False Evidence Appearing Real begins with an absolute belter of a track. Nation Fractured’s riffs build to a crescendo that hits as hard as you might expect.

A modern thrash metal album, it has all the aggressive speed that you’d expect but with far more rhythm & melody. It’s stacked with deep metal cuts that leave you bloodied & bruised but satisfied. Songs like Last Exit Call, The Newborn Me & Peddlars of Fear are all high tempo offerings that fire away with just one aim…to start the head-banging.

For most of False Evidence Appearing Real the formula doesn’t change. Bowel-shaking groove, a barrage of drum beats & plenty of solos, it’s music that excites in its simplicity. When they do change things about, such as on the slower Goodbye to All Heroes, it’s just as interesting. Nice piano melody & female vocals add extra layers to a really good metal song.

It’s testament to the quality of music on show that by time Wolfchild comes around the songs are still sounding as fresh as they did at the start. Face Down Hero know how to write riffs & hooks. They know how to keep things interesting with plenty of variety in their sound. In the case of Wolfchild they even manage to give it a seriously catchy chorus!

The only song that doesn’t quite hit right is the ballady, Echos of the Sun. It has nice melody & some decent soaring vocals but is just a bit too bland sounding to really evoke any passion.

Thankfully it finishes on the balls out thrashy, When a Promise Becomes a Lie. A high-tempo finish that makes you want to start a circle pit wherever you are. The intensity of the drums is what you’ll remember most about it but it’s nearly as perfect a finish as you could possibly ask for. Especially when it comes on an album that is packed with songs of quality heavy metal. Even the average Echoes of the Sun doesn’t harm what is a brilliant piece of work!

Face Down Hero – False Evidence Appearing Real Full Track Listing:

1. Nation Fractured
2. Last Exit Call
3. The Newborn Me
4. Goodbye to All Heroes
5. Peddlars of Fear
6. Legion
7. Wolfchild
8. Echoes of the Sun
9. When a Promise Becomes a Lie

False Evidence Appearing Real is out on April 21st 2017 via Yonah Records & will be available on major streaming services & online retailers. Check out the band over on Facebook & Twitter to keep up to date with their news. You can also listen to some of their music over on Myspace & YouTube now.