EP REVIEW: Fallweather – Halesia

a fantastic debut release, the sort that makes it clear that Fallweather are a band with incredible potential

After dropping their fantastic debut single, ‘Halesia’, late last year, Melbourne’s Fallweather have returned once more with their debut EP of the same name, and in doing so provide a great listen that is packed with brilliant melodic hardcore that balances paying homage with being creative perfectly.

Opening with a gorgeous little instrumental cut consisting of contemplative guitar melodies gently weaving their way around the listener, the EP then opens up into the fantastic title track. A full review of this piece can be found here, but succinctly put, it’s simply damn good melodic hardcore, merging huge, anthemic choruses with moments of raw, emotive heaviness.

That heaviness reaches its peak on the absolutely thunderous ‘Whole’, which exists as a continuous roiling rage that packs a superb breakdown that is weaved into the track perfectly. ‘Deadweight’ also serves as one of the EP’s heavy hitters; there is a greater focus on melody here, especially in the guitar riffs, but everything is performed with a frenetic urgency and aggressive flair, turbocharged by an explosive drum performance that brings just the right amount of complexity, understanding when to hold back and let the rest of the track sing.

All of it culminates in the bittersweet melancholy of ‘Skin’, which approaches the listener with an almost post-rock style, with its huge walls of fuzzy guitar riffs crashing down upon the far more tempered vocal performance. It’s a rousing conclusion to a wonderfully put together body of work; Fallweather have elected to put together almost a condensed album, a cohesive musical experience, as opposed to a brief collection of ideas.

That appreciation of music as an art form, and their capacity to take classic ideas of the hardcore genre and channel them through their own artistic vision with ambition and passion, is compelling to behold. ‘Halesia’ is a fantastic debut release, the sort that makes it clear that Fallweather are a band with incredible potential; if there is any justice in the world, then this marks the beginning of a very bright future for this band.

RATING: 82/100 – Very Good

For Fans Of: Casey, Oakwood Grove, Being As An Ocean, We Came As Romans, Blessthefall

Follow the band on social media below:

Instagram // Spotify // Twitter