Along Came A Spider // The Fall // EP Review

Cleveland metalcore merchants Along Came A Spider are set to release new music in the shape of “The Fall” on the 21st of June, a six-track EP that sees the band hone their sound even more and raise the bar for the rest to aim for.

Continuing in the vein that brought us “Blackhole” back in 2021 the guys have managed to surpass that masterpiece and give us a little taste of what’s to come down the line.  As with most bands, they have continued to evolve and their sound has changed, still as heavy as they were on their debut “If We Were Normal Men” and the follow-up “Resurgence” but with the refinement of “Blackhole”, they have tapered it to give the listener a true sonic experience. Title track “The Fall” is a prime example of how they have changed it, opening the EP with a piano intro that leads to an atmospheric electro vibe that has Miller coming in over it with his silky smooth vocals while the piano continues in the background, it is only when the track hits the midway point that it drops to a true metalcore track with a thumping bass and drum beat and death style vocals backing it up, the rhythm and heaviness here will blow you away before it drops back to a mellow outro.

“Morning Sun” is more their usual fare; with its heavy bass and blistering drum combo which lay the foundation for an absolutely stunning track, Calo’s bass in particular really drives the track, and the breakdown around two minutes in kicks it up a notch as the death vocals come back and all hell breaks loose, the keyboard and electronic spot add an extra dimension that sits really well with the madness that is going on, a killer track. “Let Go” is a throwback to their older material with a much heavier feel that crushes, the death style and clean vocals play really well off each other while the funky electro beats are in complete contrast to the rest of the track but really cool, if this is a glimpse of what is to come further down the line then hurry up and bring it on. The track that will get the most commercial airplay is “Apocalypse”; a mashup of metalcore and heavy pop punk with a bouncing rhythm that is really infectious, this will surprise a lot of people but it is a brilliant track, the kicking drums and massive bass really make the track. With “Back To Sleep” there is a similar feel to it as “The Fall”; leaning more on the electro and keyboards, Miller puts in a shift and a half with his haunting melodic vocals playing off nicely with his heavier style while Calo’s monster bass line and Fockler’s great riffs set the whole thing off, a cracking tune. The EP closes with “Halo” a track that feels like they have taken all the best bits from each of the five previous ones to craft an epic tune; the verses are the perfect mix of metal and electro while the chorus soars aided by Miller majestic vocals creating a beast of a track.

“The Fall” is out on the 21st of June and is well worth a spin

Review: Conor 

Along Came A Spider are:

Jamie Miller Vocals

Luke Fockler Guitars

John Calo Bass

Tony Castillo Drums

Joel Sedlak Keyboards and programming