Falling Leaves - The Silence That Binds Us - review
Falling Leaves - The Silence That Binds Us - review
Tracklist
01. Carvings02. The Angel On My Shoulder
03. We Are Alone
04. Ashes Of My Mind
05. Shattered Hopes
06. The Everlasting Wounds
07. The Visions Of The Forsaken
08. Re-Silence (Part III)
A review by
AndyMetalFreak September 30, 2025
Death doom is mostly associated with northern Europe, but Falling Leaves, initially formed in Jordan in 2009, now reside in the UAE, situated in a scorching desert landscape that is a far cry from the dark forests and snowy mountainous regions of Scandinavia. Despite this, they are very capable of creating musical soundscapes to replicate these far away lands, where the red autumn leaves fall from the trees in preparation for the dark cold winter season ahead, almost as if they reside in those regions themselves.
The band's debut Mournful Cry Of A Dying Sun, released back in 2012, was a great discovery for fans of traditional death doom in the vein of My Dying Bride, Novembers Doom, Officium Triste, and Saturnus, but as time passed by we were left wondering if another record would follow. In the intervening years, fans of the genre been treated to some outstanding releases that rival those from the golden era of the early 90s, yet The Silence That Binds Us is still among the best releases of recent years.
Over the course of the album's 50-minute runtime, you'll be taken on a personal and emotion-filled journey of grand melancholic proportions, traversing your way through familiar themes associated with loss, despair, the passage of time, and whatever challenges and struggles might lie deep within your soul. Musically it blends majestic melodies with crushing tones and mournful atmosphere, and despite lacking in originality it still represents everything traditional death doom stands for, and is a delight for any listener smitten by this wonderfully emotive genre.
The songwriting is of the highest standard, and the foursome's level of maturity and professionalism is certainly commendable, despite the lack of originality and unpredictability. Each song carries so much emotional weight, between the haunting piano keys, eerie synths, and weeping melancholic strings that accompany the slow crushing doom slogs, and strikingly melodic mid-tempo melodeath riffs and solos. The vocals consist of familiar but effective monstrous death growls, occasional theatrical narrations, and immaculately performed ghostly passionate cleans that are almost in the vein of the legendary Aaron Stainthorpe. Each of these elements are brought to life through a marvelously clean and crisp production, with Dan Swanö credited with the mastering.
The band's title Falling Leaves implies autumn to me, fitting for such music as the season that best lends itself to sorrowful moods, as the leaves begin to fall from the branches, leaving behind warm summer sun and long days, with only long, dark and cold nights lying ahead. You simply have to embrace and ride through the oncoming storm of the inevitable winter, and that for me is what The Silence That Binds Us represents; it's a feeling I've experienced with only a handful of death doom albums. When it's done properly like this, it hits hard, and I can't help but feel a satisfaction from it, almost like having my own personal therapy session.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 8 |
| Songwriting: | 8 |
| Originality: | 6 |
| Production: | 9 |
Written on 30.09.2025 by
Written on 30.09.2025 by
An honest review that you don't necessarily have to agree with. Comments
Comments:
5
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Posts: 2799
This is a proper surprise! I remember the sort of bloom the Metal scene in the Middle East was having between 2005-2015. A lot of promising bands and many debuts coming out of Jordan, Syria, UAE. A lot of the bands went into an indefinite hiatus. It is therefore really pleasant to see one of those bands returning. I'm also psyched about seeing Bashar Haroun, one of the faces of the metal scene in my hometown Aleppo back then, on vocal duties. Great review Andy. I'll be checking the album today.
---- He who is not bold enough to be stared at from across the abyss is not bold enough to stare into it himself.
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Posts: 6665 Written by InnerSelf on 30.09.2025 at 19:49 Thanks! I'm glad to see this band back in the scene after all this time, I personally think this album is a great return, and one of the best I've heard in death doom this year, I'm sure you'll enjoy it too.
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Posts: 6665 Written by fenchik on 13.11.2025 at 19:00 I'd definitely say it's one of the best this year, and certainly the most pleasantly surprising.
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 Posts: 64439 |
Posts: 64439
Good band born in ero g oart of workd, if they would born in Gernany or Danmark, would be another story...awesome doom
---- I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens. Stormtroopers of Death - "Speak English or Die"  I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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