Filthy Music Review - 'Fallen Joy: Inner Supremacy'

Fallen Joy – Inner Supremacy (2013)

Spread the Metal Records

Review by Jude Felton

There’s a word kicking around at the moment, and it’s one that is as annoying as hell. The word Melodeath, which is lazily used to describe Melodic Death Metal, pisses me off no end. What next? Brudeath? Technideath? No fucking thank you, that is the one and only time you’ll see me use that god-awful word in print, I promise you that.

Fallen Joy does play melodic death metal or death melodic metal as they post on their Facebook page, and good god they play it well. Having received this, their new album, in a very nice promo pack (it seems French bands in general put a lot of effort into their promo gear) a few weeks ago, I have had the chance to get to know the album pretty damned well.

Kicking off with a nice mellow instrumental number, Inner Supremacy kicks straight into high gear with track 2, Back to Life. It’s a blistering track which harks back to the time when most bands kicked off their albums with a truly memorable opener; something which I don’t feel is as prevalent these days. Anyway, it’s a real barnstormer and it sets the standard for the first half of the album.

Seriously, the first 5 or 6 tracks are nothing short of exceptional, full of great hooks, screeching leads and furious drumming. If this had been maintained throughout the full running time I’d be re-writing my 2013 Best of list. As it is though, Inner Supremacy does lose a little steam about halfway through. That’s not to say that the latter half isn’t good, as it is, it’s just it cannot match the fury of the first half, with the songs being more measured in their approach, and a fair bit of the pace being taken off.

That being said though, this is a terrific album, and as mentioned I have listened to it a hell of a lot. Technically it is excellent, the songs are full of passion and I guarantee you’ll be humming them whilst banging your head.

As with football though, this is a game of two halves, with the first half being more impressive than the latter. Still, as albums go this is definitely recommended, as there are some incredibly good songs to be found on Inner Supremacy.

Tracklist:

1. Back to Life
2. Destroying Fate 
3. Hymn to Silent Soldiers
4. Breaking the Light
5. Blood on the Wheel 
6. War of the Undead
7. Burst of Hope
8. Hold the Final Breath
9. Circle of Illusion
10. The Rage to Live On 
11. When the Sun Dies

Inner Supremacy is released by Spread the Metal Records and is available now.