Falloch "This Island , Our Funeral"

Seems I have been under the wrong impression, about this Scottish band. Originally I would not listen to them because of the oddly neurotic reason that i thought their name sounded to much like Agalloch. The few times I heard them it seemed like they were a more post rock version of Agalloch. So this album is a surprise, it sounds little like Agalloch and has no black metal elements of any shade to what they do, aside from some comparisons to mid-period Alcest that can be drawn. They are actually pretty middle of the road. No heavier than say Katatonia, but the Swedish gloomsters at least have a sense of melancholy with little light at the end of the tunnel where Falloch is often too hopeful in their delivery. Not bad musicians , their singer has a decent pair of pipes.

 Though the song writing is mediocre. It opens strong with "Torradh". Then the second song fools you with some powerful drumming that leads into very bland hard rock. The 30 Seconds to Mars like vocal dramatics soar off on "For Uir". Aside from a great vocal performance there is not a lot of meat for the vocals to sit upon. "Brahan" begins to wander into a more A Perfect Circle direction. Some one criticized me once for comparing bands to other bands calling it lazy writing. But if bands were not so derivative like this then it would not be called for, so lazy song writing deserves to be treated in kind. These guys are just a hook way from becoming radio rock. I think in the late 90's when this style was fresher I would have appreciated this a little more, but it almost sounds dated now.

 They do broaden into ten and twelve minute jams in the second half of the album. "I Shall Build Mountains" gets more melodramatic rather than progressive, with the song almost taking on more of a power ballad like quality.The darker ebb and flow does develop at the end of this song, before going in a more Tool like direction.The twinkling guitars of "Sanctuary" might be more welcomed if I knew they were going to be balanced out with some heavier. The song builds into a vast orchestrated section with piano and keyboard filling out the edges. I acknowledge there is something for every one this just ain't fer me. These guys do have chops, this just is a little wimpy for my tastes, but you can not deny that they are not good at what they do, it just depends on if you have outgrown what it is that they do, which is almost incomprehensible that you would not be unless you are a teenage girl. This is totally girl metal if it's metal at all. It has metal influences and mall metal at that. I though these guys as skilled as they are and as well produced as this album is were still a little more legit.I will give a 6 well played, but derivative and wimpy.