Irish band ELEVATION FALLS started out back in 2012, and following a few singles and an initial EP in their formative years they launched their debut album “What Will Be” in the spring of 2018. As is the case with many artists these days, the album was self released.

Reading up on this band, I see they acknowledge an affection for music all across the style spectrum, but describe themselves as mainly being in the rock, classic rock and blues genres as a unit. Which, at least to some extent, is correct. What is crystal clear is that this band, at this stage, are still at the stage where the material they create is spread a bit all over the place.

Hence we have quite a few variations of ballads and power ballads, tighter affairs with more of a 70’s hard rock orientation as well as more intense workouts with a foot or so well placed inside a mid 80’s metal landscape. Further expanding the boundaries are one off excursions into southern rock and folk-tinged landscapes, as well as cuts more directly founded in blues, blues based hard rock and folk rock respectively.

For me this album started out a bit slow as far as engagement is concerned, and my impression is that the opening cuts, some of which has a vibe to them that makes me suspect they are killer tracks in a live setting, doesn’t give away quite that energetic vibe as album tracks. Opening cut Vultures is as good an example of that as anything else.

For me this production passes a threshold with the emotional and at times brilliant Cheating Woman though. An emotionally laden blues cut that adds a lot of spice and spike for the final third, this song is in my opinion the brightest shining light on this album. Not because the song is any better than many others as such, but because the vocals of Hazel Jade fits this kind of material so brilliantly.

I do find many of the other songs that I’ll roughly describe as being in the second half of this album to be worthwhile creations as well, material that for some reason or other manage to engage me on a higher level than the ones prior to Cheating Woman. Despite of or because of these songs all exploring rather different musical landscapes I guess, although that is pretty much the case for all the tracks on this album.

I regard this album as one that merits a check by those who love and treasure bands of this kind, the ones that sets out to explore many different styles and sounds rather than sticking to one subsection of music. Those fond bands ranging from classic rock to 80’s metal in general, and in particular those that don’t mind a side serving of blues and folk as the icing of the cake at that. If you recognize yourself in such a description, this is an album you probably should take note of.

My rating: 73/100

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Track list:
1. Vultures
2. Zombie
3. Dream of Me
4. Stand Down
5. Never Be Me
6. Cheating Woman
7. Armies Rising
8. Souls Burning
9. Burn
10. Take Me Back
11. What Will Be

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Links:
https://www.elevationfalls.com/
https://www.facebook.com/ElevationFalls