#blackfall

We’re lured in with rhythmic drums and acoustic guitar of a sound close to Egyptian. They’re tribal and mysterious, as are the darkness of the video and the strange, eerie women that appear throughout. Alexis Dunlap’s vocals are haunting yet light, and coupled with her gaze in the video are almost enchanting. They juxtapose with the dark imagery of her lyrics that essentially define the song, with lines in the chorus like “heaven is in this hell”. In the oddest of manners, “This Hell” is incredibly catchy, but not in the same way that your standard Pop song might be. Its infusion of sounds and organic nature, accompanied by Blackfall’s perfectly mismatched image make it extremely memorable and hopefully incredibly defining for the band. The only element that detracts from the track at all are the phasing audio effects in its latter parts. They feel rather unnecessary and whilst the intention is most likely to add to the song’s mystery and general feel, it does that enough without their inclusion.

Similarly, in what is in an extremely well-made music video with high production values, the use of orangey damaged film overlays seem out of place and feel a little cheap in comparison. To reiterate, however, multi-talented Matt Zane’s work in directing the video is brilliant and wonderfully styled. It’s well cut and structured, and its transition from light, warming imagery in the beginning to a more gloomy aesthetic in the latter half reflect the song ideally.

Blackfall potentially have huge appeal if “This Hell” and the rest of the EP are anything to judge by, with their image alluring to Metal fans and their eccentrically crafted music appealing to just about anybody else.

Reviewed by: Nathan Daniel

Get Connected:

BLACKFALL: Facebook | Instagram | Bandcamp