By Franco Boggiano de las Casas
The pandemic not only left death, suffering and uncertainty, among other ills, in the world. It also helped various national bands to show resilience, give free rein to their creativity and the feeling that overwhelmed them in these hard years for humanity.
Fallen Symmetry (2011) recorded in the middle of a pandemic Rehenes (2022, Thrashirts)his third studio album that reflects what a large part of human beings felt (fear, hopelessness, uncertainty due to confinement) but at the same time prompted the questioning of the system and its “truths” and believe, that from this point of not return, you can be reborn and awaken.
The band’s musical proposal has been polished and stylized -if the term fits- in that progressive power metal full of strength and passion. The arrival of two new guitarists in recent years (Pepe Irei and Sebastián Beltrán) have given him the elegance and technique required for this style.
The album also features important collaborations on various tracks: Michael Abdow from Fates Warning (guitar solo on Aun en Pie); Mark Boals (lead vocals on This Fire, the only track in English); Javier Barrozo (voices and backing vocals in Aun en Pie, Apocalipsis, Enigma, Libérame, and Carta de la Tierra); Leandro Coronel (voice in Hostages of a False Paradigm); Ingrid Castro de Hamadria and Miguel Angel “El Loco” Cervantes in voices in Hostages of a False Paradigm; among others.
The disc starts with Omeninstrumental that reminds me of Dream Theater and that is the ideal preamble to introduce you to the subject Alpha & Omegawhere FS tells us that by overcoming fear, the truth will set us free.
continue with Point of no return, a direct criticism of the damage that human beings have done to the world, to nature. With punch, speed, melody and energetic choruses, they ask to understand the extreme situation in which we find ourselves in order to be born again (Will it be possible?).
Go on Hostages of a false paradigm that warns us that the owners of the world only act ambition. Here the voices of the Argentine Leandro Coronel from Jezabel (the one that predominates), Gustavo Fernández, “Loco Cervantes” and Ingrid Castro blend together in a good way. Another point to highlight are the solos that exude feeling, vertigo and technique.
Apocalypse, A song that begins with a lot of feeling and goes in crescendo until it breaks with progressive metal rhythms where there are passages where both the bass and the guitars shine, although in the end the song doesn’t stop exploding.
Keep going still standing that begins with a very feeling bass and guitar pluck, while Gustavo Fernández, in a very heartfelt way, cries out that “We must wake up, we must be reborn” and stay on our feet until he explodes into a battle cry. This theme does explode and over time I have no doubt that it will become a classic of the band.
In Earth Charter the leading role is taken by the keyboards and Gustavo’s voice, although there are also very good plucks. “Commercially speaking” may be the topic to be promoted if the band wants to open its field of action outside the fields of metal where it has moved until now.
To my taste, the record decays a bit in the final part. Liberame y Enigma They are average themes that do not clash but do not stand out either.
They finish off with This Fire (Este fuego), the only song in English where Mark Boals (former Yngwie Malmsteen, Royal Hunt, etc) participates as the main voice that I’m not excited about either.
In conclusion, Hostages is a good album where Fallen Symmetry demonstrates its musical growth and that it is clear about its direction.
Concert with Rata Blanca & Official Bootleg
Fallen Symmetry will be presented next Saturday, April 29 at the Parque de la Exposición, a concert that will share the stage with Rata Blanca from Argentina, Trémolo, Uchpa, Frágil and Armageddon.
Likewise, he has released on his YouTube channel the A & O video (official bootleg) of the live presentation made within the framework of the “Heavy Metal Vortex” festival in Lima on November 17 of last year.
