Holy Sons - Fall of Man

If you’re looking for positivity and hope, this is not the place for you. Holy Sons are primarily concerned with a more dour and mysterious tone. Fall of Man is no exception, with Emil Amos forging ahead with his blend of soulful, avant garde style of songwriting.

Opener ‘Mercenary World’ sets the tone for the album, sprinkling different instruments around the vocals, with no singular drive. This snaking, shimmying style is spread throughout the album, with title track featuring the kind of guitars and lyrics which seem inspired by Native Americans “Here comes the fall of man, there goes the fall of man”.

While atmosphere is easily created but hushed, close vocals and the aforementioned multitude of instruments, it’s all played out at a depressingly slow speed. The whimpering tones in the back of the songs can begin to grate and frustrate, not allowing any space in already plodding arrangements.

‘Out Of Sight’ feels like a Mark Lanegan song, dark lyrics and dark acoustic picking, but the melody doesn’t seem to pick up the rhythm it promises. Amos is certainly accomplished in his playing and his delivery but he appears to toil in the songs too much. While you might give this album your attention to begin with, you’ll find less and less to keep you listening. ‘Boil It Down’ has a majesty which is wasted among the company of other tracks “there’s only one hell, and it’s the same old town”. It's short-lived to boot, but it does feature the best of the solos on the album.

The closing track ‘Trampled Down’ is a great summary of the way you’ll feel having listened to this album in its entirety. There is atmosphere to be had in places if you can muddle through, but a change of pace across the songs might help to shake things up. On the whole, you’ll be left feeling a little empty, wondering where the fun is.