Band:	Rise To Fall
Album:	Restore The Balance
Style:	Alternative metal, Melodic death metal
Release date:	February 2010

01. Redrum
02. Unknown Presence
03. Inner Scream
04. Rise From Drama
05. Prophet Of Doom
06. Infected Wounds
07. Forbidden Lullaby
08. When The Instinct...
09. ...Kills The Reason
10. My Sombre Prospect
11. Chasing Infinity

Everyone in the metal world does know that melodeath/Gothenburg metal is quite a trend, with numerous followers and copycats. Well it seems right now that the Swedish city just relocated to Bilbao, Spain, as Rise To Fall sounds so Gothenburg-ish that they could as well been born there.

Yes, they're defined by their label as modern melodeath. Understand by this that this album is uncannily similar to recent Soilwork (for the vocals, the keyboards, the sound) or to In Flames' Reroute To Remain (for half of the songwriting). Just to add to the pot, I must say that Gothenburg metal is indeed a small family? After all, this album was signed on Coroner Records with the help of Ettore Rigotti, who also produced the album, and who is no other than Disarmonia Mundi's mainman.

So its clear, we do have another clone here. But are they good? Well, yes! They do now how to play their stuff well, whether you consider the guitars, the drums, or the keyboards. The vocals are good too, even the clean ones (which are of course totally in line with their models - particularly, Bjorn Strid). The songwriting is catchy as expected, true to the formula, but the songs are not really different one from each other, making the album a bit linear? Nothing to say about the sound either, the mix (by Jacob Hansen, no less) is clear and powerful as the style warrants (no surprise here) and quite dynamic.

Not original at all, a bit linear too, but tight and surprisingly catchy and good for a first album. If you like original and groundbreaking bands, go elsewhere... But if you're a die-hard fan of the Gothenburg scene, you'd better check out this band, especially if you're in need of a new fix of good In Flames / Soilwork stuff, as this Restore The Balance is probably better than the latest releases of its obvious influences.
But for the future, I think it would be a wise move for the band to grow a more personal identity, even if, as now, they're sure more enjoyable than most copycats anyway!