Formed in late 2014, As Sirens Fall are an enthusiastic alt-rock five piece, hailing from West Yorkshire. While stylistically somewhat similar to the likes of mid-2000s 30 Seconds to Mars, and The Used, the band generally finds itself reshaping the heavier, post-hardcore elements into more upbeat, radio friendly results. Following a positive reception to previous EP releases, The Hospital Party, and collaborative EP with Ashestoangels, The Winter Split, the band’s energetic, anthemic style has earned them a swiftly growing following. With an upcoming UK and European tour to promote latest 2018 offering, Where Lost Things Go, it would appear to be all onwards and upwards for As Sirens Fall.
Opening things on a high, Where Lost Things Go is kicked off with the promotional single, ‘Lily’. Starting with a choppy introductory guitar riff, that feels a little reminiscent of Rise Against‘s ‘Prayer of the Refugee’, much of As Sirens Fall‘s already established stylistic preferences have remained virtually unchanged since the band’s previous release; ‘Lily’ sees vocalist Mikey Lord again switching comfortably between clean to screamed vocals, as on the former ‘State of the Artist’, and much of the alt-rock instrumentation re-treads much of what is seen throughout ‘Lonely Tomorrows’, and ‘Last Goodbyes’. This being said, the track feels like a perfectly natural re-introduction for the band, since the former The Hospital Party, and, featuring a catchy chorus and killer bridge, neatly paves the way forward for what Where Lost Things Go offers next.
Following track, ‘In My Mind’, brings in a few newer elements into the mix, the most notable of which being, of course, a featured appearance of veteran Skindred and Dub War vocalist, Benji Webbe. Lyrically, the track admittedly does little to break boundaries, preferring the simple, catchy approach of “take my breath away; I can’t take another moment this way“, but the inclusion of Webbe, alongside Mikey Lord‘s Gerard Way-esque vocal delivery, actually works rather effectively, culminating in the two playing off against each other throughout the bridge’s mantra of “take the power back, take the power back (say it)”.
Continuing forward, it’s fair to say that much of Where Lost Things Go follows similar direction to its introductory tracks; ‘Like Vultures’ takes a slightly softer, more melodic approach to things, while still featuring a huge, anthemic chorus and blistering guitar riffs, while ‘My Only Ghost’ leans more towards your pop-punk staples of the mid-2000s, such as Panic! At The Disco‘s A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out-era, or Paramore‘s Riot!. Both are competant enough to enjoy, but play a relatively safe bet overall in again sticking with the familiar.
That being said, As Sirens Fall do also offer some stylistic variety on the EP, with ‘Getaway’ displaying a welcome change of pace for the band, primarily piano driven and geared far more towards your classic power ballad. It’s also throughout the track that Mikey Lord easily delivers some of his best vocals on the EP, fitting in perfectly with the soaring guitar solo and piano accompaniment, and again drawing similarities to Gerard Way‘s more dramatic My Chemical Romance performances, such as ‘The Black Parade’. Closing Where Lost Things Go, is perhaps the EP’s biggest surprise; initially starting with glittering The Edge-esque delayed guitar work, the band confidently strides forward to offer a huge, blasting finale, and closes the EP as it was opened; on a high.
Ultimately, while perhaps lacking a little in ambition, As Sirens Fall‘s 2018 effort, Where Lost Things Go, does hold up enough to be proud of. There are some newer elements explored, while some of the EP remains comfortable, but overall the EP seems to very much indicate a band still in the process of finding the style that works best for them. Of course, As Sirens Fall have plenty of time and opportunity to work this out, and are well and truly enjoying the ride ahead of them, and considering the success of ‘Where You Are’, ‘State of the Artist’ and more recent release, ‘Lily’, this Yorkshire five piece is going onwards and upwards.
