Muzic.net.nz Review

New Zealand music website www.muzic.net.nz have reviewed Down Falls An Empire.

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Album Review – Down Falls An Empire

I can’t believe that this time last year, I was doing a review on These Fall Walls two single EP and now, finally, their debut album has been released. It has been a long time coming since their first single ‘Walk Away’ debuted in May 2007.

I have to say that despite the long wait, it was worth it and These Fall Walls deliver an album packed full with commercial tracks while retaining a sense of trueness and diversity.
The album opens with ‘One Moment In Time’ which grabs you straight away with the opening riff and is just infectious with its “scream from the roof top” backing vocals.

The next single ‘Sweet December’ has recently been released as a single and is making headways in the charts. This is followed by ‘Lay It Out’ which slows the tempo right down and then brings back the rock beat intermittently.

Of course, successful tracks ‘Walk Away’; ‘Under The Shadows’ and ‘Fly Home’ all appear on the album.

The final track of the album ‘To The Loved And Lost’ starts slowly and is very melodic and showcases Steve’s vocal ability. It then builds up to a great mellow bassline and strong riffs. This would have to be my favourite of all the tracks.

All 12 songs fit together exceptionally well and you get a real sense of the band, their connection with each other and with you, the listener. This is one album worth the wait.

Written by BrendaF for www.muzic.net.nz

Sleeping For The Next Month

I think I will be sleeping for the next month. From the 29th of August onwards there’s pretty much no stopping for us. First we have our album release party at the Dogs Bollix, then we’re off to the South Island to do a few shows. A few days later we’re flying to Brisbane, Australia to play Q Music’s Big Sound Music Industry Summit and Showcase. After that wild ride, we’re playing a special yet-to-be-announced show (We’ll follow up with more details soon) and from there I’m sure things will only get busier! I’m so excited I CAN’T WAIT!

Right now we’re working on getting everything ready for the big release. The album cover has been designed and looks fucking cool! We’ve got a name sorted (Which we will reveal in time) and the songs will soon be ready to be sent away for mastering. Much like we did with Andrew Buckton, we’re working Chris Van Der Gear to the bone and after we’re done I’m sure neither man will forget the name These Four Walls!
We’re back at our practice space grinding off the rust with an angle grinder and a wire brush wheel and getting back into the swing of jamming.

Its 2.15am and right now I’m going to sleep for the next month so I’m ready to go when the shit’s on, because when its on, we work!

Onwards and upwards! Its the Westlake way…

Bassing Up Is Hard To Do…

Today was limerick day. This bought on many problems for us as a band. Buckletone was merciless! He ripped into everyone. Gray, Steve, Brad, myself. He even ripped into the band as a whole. He had the first limerick within the first hour and a half of todays session! Can we really be that bad?

Many limericks were submitted, yet had to be turned away because the didn’t meet the correct protocol. From what we found out, the limerick structure must consist of 5 lines. Each line had to contain a certain amount of syllables. For example;

Line 1 – 9 syllables
Line 2 – 9 syllables
Line 3 – 6/7 syllables
Line 4 – 6/7 syllables
Line 5 – 9 syllables

The object of the limerick was to make lines 1,2 and 5 rhyme, although this was not a necessity. I think Buckletone won that round.

After some changes were made to a final drum track this morning, today’s objective was to complete the remaining bass tracks. All went well, except for Lilith, which was a bit of a pain. As it turns out, for the past 6 months I’ve been playing it wrong, and this needed to be rectified. It didn’t take me long to get up to speed, but tracking it was a nightmare. But – with Buckletone’s encouragement – we knocked the bastard off and re-amped with some dirty, dirty distortion pedals he has. You’re going to love it.
Throughout the recording process so far, we have strived to get the best tones we can, and I have to say I am completely happy with how the bass tones have turned out.

Tomorrow’s objective: recording rhythm guitars. There will have to be some photos of the combination of amps we’re using to get the best sound for the album!

I can’t wait for you all to hear this album!!!

Parking ticket count: 1

Week II: Studio Update

The drum tracks are all completed. We had a successful 4 day stint at the plush York St studios. Jeremy and his team are stand up guys, and it was even surprising to find an old school friend of Gray and I had just started as a studio assistant. Having tea, coffee or hot chocolate at the snap of your fingers was a luxury we all got used to, but unfortunately it had to come to an end!

Today (Monday, 11th May) was the start of a new week, and a new studio. Studio 203.
Studio 203 is located on Symmonds St, owned and run by Andrew Buckletone. (Yes, his real name is Buckton, but we’ve changed it to Buckletone because that’s who he is now.) This afternoon the bass tracks began, and by close of today’s session we had 5/11 bass tracks down with more to come. Today I was put outside my comfort zone when Buckletone suggested I play entire songs downstroke with a pick. This was strange to me because I’d never done it before, and I had to adapt quickly without wasting time. It worked for some songs, but not for others where it was just physically impossible to play 16th notes as downstrokes.
The bass tone is thunderous, yet punchy and in your face. Its going to sound great mixed in with the guitars and drums, I can’t wait to hear the final product.

Coming soon – more videos, pictures and future blogs. Once bass tracking is done, more time shall be had to write studio updates!
For now, sleep.

Studio Update: Day III

At present, as I write this the time according to my laptop is 12:34PM.

I am sitting in the York St control room listening to Andrew Buckton and Brad put the drum track together for Sweet December that has just been recorded. Things are sounding good.
My favourite part of the whole track is the snare drum. It just sounds so good! We are using what we’ve compassionately nicknamed ‘Big Fatty’. For later use, I am going to explain why we use this nickname for this particular drum. It is a Tama snare that we borrowed off Big Val (Thanks, Val!). Its a very deep snare, with the most intense bodilly sound I have ever heard. It is much deeper than the other 3 snares we are currently switching between. Once we put a new snare head on it and tuned it up (Thanks, Tory!) it sounds absolutely amazing. Brad passed the comment earlier that this snare is sounding better and better each day, which is completely true. We’ve used this snare for all bar one song I believe thus far, and we may end up using it more as the session goes on.

I have been sitting on the blue couch, listening to the takes and in between trying to cut together some video footage we have been taking. Unfortunately I am having to transfer the .MOD files from the camera onto my latop, changing each file extension to .MOV and then compiliing each individual file into one removing the timecode breaks. It is a painstaking process, and at times I have lost my rag and given up – but every time, I get back on the horse!

More to come later, and hopefully some footage should be up online soon!

A Way To Shake Up The Nerves…

Ok, so we’re a week away from being tracking our debut album.
We’re even less than a week away from our showcase show at the Kings Arms.

What has to happen?
My Ampeg packs a sad. Bloody Ampeg. Everyone goes on about how much of a work-horse they are. Well, my so-called ‘work-horse’ was born lame, and just broke his ankle. Mind you, I give it death and it it only breaks an ankle after the touch of death, it must be pretty good…

This afternoon I dropped it off to an electronics whiz, and I have faith in him. Unlike the Rockshop. But I’m really not worried. I’m extremely confident I’ll have it back in working condition by Friday, so guys don’t worry!

I have one more week left of work and then its a month of sitting on a couch and eating pizza! And occasionally telling Gray to pick up his game. More blogging from the studio!

Peace!

Things Are Starting To Happen…

Well thank fuck for that.

Last week we pretty much sorted our engineer/producer situation which is fantastic news because to tell the truth I was getting VERY bored sitting around. I was starting to feel like ‘Lets start recording or play a show, damn it!’, and as luck would have it, the wheels are actually rolling thanks to a push start by our finalised decisions.

At the moment we’ve been demoing every potential song for the album using our very basic studio set up at our practice space. Thanks to Pro Tools, and mBox mini and 4 Behringer microphones purchased for $100! While I’m having my woes with the Rockshop, my SansAmp has stepped in to take up the roll of bass driver.

We’re hopefully entering the studio first week of may – no dates are confirmed, but that IS the time frame when we’re hitting the studio! And, hopefully we’ll play a show or two before that!

God I’m looking forward to this!

Dear Sushi Lady, I’m sorry…

This is an open letter to the sushi lady who I normally buy sushi from, who shall never read this because she has no idea what I get up to in my life away from lunch time…

Dear Sushi Lady,

For the last year and a half (or so) you and I have gone through the motions. I show up, you say ‘Hi…’ and I smile. You then ask me how many pieces I’d like today. I reply ’six please’ or sometimes when I am hungry I say ‘8 please’.
We’ve gotten to know each other so well that I don’t even need to ask for that extra soy sauce, and you don’t even need to ask for my eftpos card – I willingly hand it over.

Now there’s something I must tell you.

I’ve been seeing someone else.
There’s a bakery across the parking lot. They’re cheaper than you. Service without a smile. I’m sure they’re health rating is a B. I think I’m going to have to leave you, because the Asian girl behind the counter seems very upset every time I tell her I’ve been eating sushi. And to tell you the truth she scares me. You’re very high maintenance, and I’m running out of money trying to keep you happy. I just want you to know if things were different I’d chose you every time. Its just a shame things didn’t work out.

One day I might see you, and we might smile at each other. But right now, this is goodbye.

I Must Be a Sexy Man…

After seeing Brad’s new well-designed website and the ‘funny’ photos of me I’ve had a realisation.

I must just be a sexy man.

I only say this, because almost every photo of me that has been used on a website or a t-shirt since I joined this band seems to involve me pulling some ’sex-face’. The very first t-shirt we brought out had me in the middle of the 5 faces with my ’sex-face’ on and my shirt unbuttoned, which I maintain was a black collar shirt unbuttoned with a white t-shirt underneath. Its just a shame that the shirt was black and the rest of us was white because it makes me look like – as the printer quoted – George Michael.

All I can pro-actively do from this day forth is pull some other dumb face, instead of my usual chiseled good looks.
Why this happens every time a photo is taken…I just don’t know.