Wastefall is a great prog metal band from Greece. Fallen Stars and Rising Scars is their 2003 debut, and it immediately draws the listener in because of its undeniable Pain of Salvation references. If you thought that the Brazilian band Mindflow sounded like POS, then wait till you hear Wastefall. This feels like Daniel Gildenlow and co. have moved to Greece and are recording under a different name. The vocalist is a dead ringer for Gildenlow right down to his unique screams. The lyrics, while not quite as impressive as POS' yet, also resemble them as well. They deal with war and its sad effects on society, loss of innocence, etc.
The album begins and ends with the cry of a baby, which I assume must be a theme that holds everything together, but I could be wrong. Entropia-period Pain of Salvation bass lines and rhythm guitar work are followed by slow piano melodies that recall Remedy Lane. The only difference is that Wastefall is sort of heavier; they sound more primitive and raw. The production work on this disc is satisfying but certainly far from brilliant as on POS albums. The drum sound is thin and there is not enough crunch in the mix. Still, the band plays songs with great dynamics, unexpected stop-and-start sections abound their compositions as their singer Alx (no surnames mentioned for any of the members in the booklet) belts out a mini tribute for Daniel Gildenlow. Had I not known this band really exists, I would have believed this is Daniel Gildenlow singing on demo record pre-Entropia. Yes - it's THAT similar. POS fans are going to drool over this band, while it'll just further annoy POS-haters. I personally dig it. Very much indeed.
Most of the songs have nifty acoustic guitar passages in their intros, which are enhanced with subtle keyboards and guitar lines. The guitar solos are perhaps the only thing that differ from Pain of Salvation; Wastefall's solos are more linear and somewhat less complex. The songs range from heavy, aggressive tracks such as "Like Father Like None" to short atmospheric pieces ("For What is to Be Lost") or simply melancholic acoustic ballads with heavy piano and extended guitar solos ("Fall of Eva"). The band is obviously also interested in English literature, as they use one of Edgar Allan Poe's poems on their song "Annabel Lee" -- this is a nice acoustic-based track all the way through and lets the singer show his talents.
The last couple of songs go back to Wastefall's POS phase -- "Subroutine" has some electronic elements in its intro, but other than that, right from the first vocal melody, it's back to paying homage to Pain of Salvation. The bass guitar is convincingly prevalant on most songs. Note the solid rhythm section of "April's Ruin" decorated with Remedy Lane-era pianos and wailing vocals... only when the guitar solo creeps into the mix do the POS comparisons wither. The last two tracks, also the longest ones, are both amazing. "That was All About" would be a solid representative of Wastefall's debut release with its almost 8-minute running time, shift of moods and muscular instrumentation. "One with the Fall" is a long instrumental piece and sees the band experimenting a bit more with electronics and combining them with nice acoustic guitars. There is a recurring melody theme that pops in for a short moment before the crying of a baby is heard again, just as in the beginning, and the album is over. Nice, very nice start for a new band. And guess what - their 2005 is even better. Seek it out as well.
Track Listing
1. Killing of Wolves
2. Like Father Like the None
3. For What is to Be Lost
4. Fall of Eva
5. Annabel Lee
6. Confession
7. Subroutine
8. April's Ruin
9. That was All About
10. One with the Fall
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