Fall Of Stasis: “Pssst you, metal review person, wanna review some symphonic, blackened folk metal?”

Me: “Nah , I’m a bit burned out of bouncy folky metal, even the last Ensiferum really didn’t enthrall past the first few listens, *sigh*

Fall of Stasis: “What if they had a more slicing, viscous edge like The Black Dahlia Murder?”

Me:”hmmmmmm, still not sure”

Fall Of Stasis: “Ok, what if we had a fucking banshee female singer that will rip your face off?”

Me: “Ok, I’m listening……”

Fall of Stasis: “What if we then added some unhinged, Circus-y atmospheres like our fellow, defunct Montreal-ians, Unexpect?”

Me: “Yeaaaaaaaah, I’m definitely interested now…”

Fall of Stasis: “Oh, and then we added some rollicking,  Finntroll-ish humpa, folk stomps here and there, along with some proggy, left field parts, and some death metal heft?”

Me: “Take my fucking money!”

*money exchanges hand and CD is purchased*

Relatively new act Fall of Stasis only has one demo under their belt, but they have absolutely stormed out of the gate with a self-released debut album that won’t leave my CD player any time soon. At its core its keyboard-heavy, folk metal with a standard blackened folk vibe like many of their Canadian folk peers (Blackguard/Profugus Mortis, Crimson Shadows, Vesperia/Bolero, Battlesoul, Will of the Ancients, Nordheim, Valfreya, Atavistia, etc). But rather than the standard epic, happier, bombastic fare with Finnish influences, they deliver something a little darker, twisted, and out there.

Fronted by newcomer Jessica Dupré, who has an absolutely vicious array of screams, bellows, growls, and even some decent croons, Fall of Statis, deliver a slightly fiercer and darker curveball of a record, that has some of that twisted carnival freakshow vibe that Unexpect perfected, but still manages to deliver plenty of sharp left turns and even some fun, blistering moments.

For example, amid the almost 7-minute title track, there is a great little groove or the Pirate-y jaunt of “Drunken Howl”, arguably the most typically folk metal song on the album. Then there is the nifty little solos (both guitar and keyboard/accordion) and chorus of “Baron”  or even the tempered mood of “The Last Waltz” and triumphant moments of “Swarm of casualties”.  It’s all damn solid stuff.

But these guys can be absolutely fucking bonkers at times, take “Baal Arise” which adds some surprisingly clean vocals to the cacophony,  the Finntroll on ‘roids romp of “The Cult”, or the of the aptly named “Twilight Carnival” (the song’s early transition from eerie circus waltz to face shredding blasts actually scared the piss out of me in a pre-sleep fog). It’s these moments where the band let loose for some real blistering, but brashly off-kilter highlights.

The closing title track does a little of everything, rounding out the 50-minute affair with a well-placed end cap for a fucking good album, that hit me out of nowhere.

[Visit the band's website]

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