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Face Down Hero: Of Storytellers and Gunfellas

Face Down Hero:
Of Storytellers and Gunfellas

Modern Heavy/Thrash Metal
Rating: 4.0/5.0

Yonah Records
www.facedownhero.de
www.myspace.com/facedownhero
Review: Craig Hartranft, 04.12.2009

Face Down Hero's third release in as many years 'Of Storytellers And Gunfellas' finds the band in fine form and full stride. This work also finds FDH a bit more aggressive in parts and borrowing a little more from modern metal trends, especially those more common in America. Some of the latter I found more aggravating than exciting. However, 'Of Storytellers' is still a ripping good disc of thrash-based heavy metal.

The more aggressive musical delivery and modern metal trends occurs mostly on the first half of this album. Heavy riffage and an adrenaline overload pace mark the songs 'Disposable Significance,' 'Deceptive Silence' and 'A Breathing Plaything.' These songs also push more modern trends as Face Down Hero brings hard/metalcore to the arrangements, especially on 'A Breathing Plaything' where the vocals are the harshest without being death vocals. As I mentioned at the beginning, I found this path more aggravating simply because everybody's doing it these days. The result is not renewed creativity, but drowning saturation and musical mediocrity.

However, the saving grace for all these songs is that they are, by and large, pretty darn good. The reason for this is that within songs like 'Deceptive Silence' and 'A Breathing Plaything' there are huge moments traditional (and melodic) heavy metal. In the former, the segue half in deceptively inspired and melodic, the guitar work thrills. On the latter, the guitar solo and the arrangement supporting it is superb: fast, strong with quick licks and sounding a lot like power metal

As if to make a clear division between the first and second half of the work, 'Infinite Times' is a purely melodic heavy thrash metal instrumental which leads to much more of the same to the end. 'Grave Of An Unknown Soldier' sounds like traditional thrash with a small dash of metalcore like hot sauce in the mix. But then, from 'My Fifteen Minutes' to the end Face Down Hero delivers their best melodic modern thrash metal sans the modern influences. These songs rise above all the others with my favorite being 'Benefactors Disguised Aggressors' thanks to the unbelievable guitar solo.

Face Down Hero's latest project 'Of Storytellers And Gunfellas' is literally two compositions in one. The first half brings more aggressive thrash with modern nuances, and the second half, melodic modern thrash metal without the contemporary flavors. The one is derivative of current trends, but FDH makes it work well. The latter is masterful showing us where Face Down Hero shines the brightest. Recommended!

In Short

Face Down Hero's latest project 'Of Storytellers And Gunfellas' is literally a two compositions in one. The first half brings more aggressive thrash with modern nuances, and the second half, melodic modern thrash metal without the contemporary flavors. The one is derivative of current trends, but FDH makes it work well. The latter is masterful showing us where Face Down Hero shines the brightest.

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