Album Review: Isolation by After The Fall (by Brett Coomer)

I was a little concerned that after waiting for what felt like a long time before the release of Dedication in 2020, one of my favourite albums of that year, After The Fall would make us wait another 5 years before releasing their seventh album. As it turns out, I needn’t have worried because it’s early 2022 and the Albany, New York, four-piece have thankfully given us a brand new album entitled Isolation. With 10 new tracks squeezed into 17 minutes, the songs are played at a mostly blistering pace, but without sacrificing any melody, lyricism or technical proficiency.

‘Ghosts’ kicks things off at high speed, showcasing the duelling vocals of Mike and Jasmine very nicely. Fast, short and sweet, this is the After The Fall everyone has grown to love and provides a great start to the album. Jasmine’s vocals pair perfectly with Mike’s and are prominent throughout the album. It makes for a really great dynamic and has become one of my favourite vocal combinations in punk.

‘Adios Amigo’ follows and is a surprisingly mid-tempo song with a catchy melody and some nice lead guitar flourishes. I may be missing some nuance behind the song but I feel like the lyrics are directed at a certain music label (and owner) the band was previously involved with who messed around with an album release. After the brief reprieve, the speed is turned up again with ‘Degradation’. The pace is perfect for the anger directed at the pro-white, blue-lives-matter, alt-right section of the population. The song also features some of the best dual vocal harmonies heard since Jasmine joined the band.

‘Firewood’ is a song that would fit right in on any of the band’s previous releases. It’s fast, it’s melodic, but it’s also a melancholic love song with lyrics that describe what it feels like to meet and be with the person who makes everything feel right and the willingness to sacrifice in order to keep that feeling.

‘Gas Money’ is the first song on the album fronted by Jasmine. It’s angry, fast and seems to be a clear message to the music industry, which continues to pay smaller independent bands terribly.

Next up is another more mid-tempo song that just passes the 2 minute mark. ‘Break A Leg’ proves that After The Fall doesn’t have to play everything fast to sound great. The song serves as a reminder to people motivated by wealth and success that stepping over people to achieve that could leave them with an empty life without love.

‘Failed You’ is like the sad ending to the story started with ‘Firewood’, a poignant song reflecting on the acceptance of a failed relationship and the point in time at which the realisation occurred. It’s another great example of how well the vocals of Jasmine and Mike compliment each other.

The two songs that follow have a combined length of 1:30, which is short even by punk rock standards. The first is the title track ‘Isolation’, which perfectly expresses the feelings most of us have experienced over the last 2 years while being mostly stuck at home. The second is ‘Smashed State’, which has some hints of 90s pop-punk and a melody most bands would kill to match with songs twice as long.

‘Mileage’, the album closer, is only the third song to crack 2 minutes and it takes advantage of the extra time available with 3 verses, providing both Mike and Jasmine an opportunity to sing a verse each as well as a guest appearance by Jon Snodgrass. The chorus is catchy and really hits home with the message that “things will never be the same again”.

If you were a fan of previous After The Fall releases, the 17-minute length of Isolation won’t surprise you. The quality of the songwriting and the Blasting Room production won’t shock you either. What might surprise you is how the band manages to stay so consistent without rehashing old ideas or sounding stale. The songs are like quick, sharp punk-rock jabs delivering endorphins and adrenaline. Even the slower or longer songs never feel out of place or insincere. And when the album is over, all you’ll want to do is find the play button to start it over again.

Stream and download Isolation on Bandcamp here.

Like After The Fall on Facebook here.

This review was written by Brett Coomer.

Brett's Top Ten Albums of 2020

To describe 2020 as a rollercoaster year would be an understatement. Although the cancellation of our plans to travel to MPF and Fest due to well-justified lockdowns and restrictions were difficult blows and put us through all the stages of grief, I am very grateful that we were able to get through the year where the worst thing happening was some inconvenient travel plan changes, others have not been so lucky.

There were some good days though. I think in the very beginning of our lockdown there was a live-streamed event almost every weekend, which was fun; and I’ve really enjoyed watching some of my favourite bands perform live from a “venue” with a comfortable couch, clean bathroom, and shared with cats. I do hope that some of the smaller bands were able to get the support that was really needed through the various community initiatives.

During the lockdown and self-isolation, I found it very difficult to listen to new music and instead leant into bands and albums that were comfortable, like nostalgic hugs via my ears; so, I think if I had to pick my 10 most listened to albums this would be a very different list. As a consequence, my list is mostly made up of bands and labels that I’ve known and loved for a long time. Make no mistake, there were still a really long list of albums to pick from this year. 2020 may have sucked for the most part but the music was still top notch and the albums on this list are amazing in my opinion. They’re the kind that by the end make me want to flip the record or click play and start over.

10. Skeleton Coast by The Lawrence Arms

The Lawrence Arms have been around for over 2 decades now and have earned their spot in the upper echelons of the punk scene with a consistently brilliant back catalogue of releases. Their last album, Metropole, was released 6 years ago and with only a “greatest hits” compilation to satisfy fans since then, the anticipation surrounding Skeleton Coast was high. Luckily the band completely smash all expectations with 14 tracks featuring the trademark shared vocals from Brendan Kelly and Chris McCaughan, some beautiful storytelling lyrics, expertly crafted melodies, and of course a few doses of humour thrown in for good measure.

Favourite song: Ghostwriter

9. Dancing With The Curse by Get Dead

Six months ago, I would have classified myself as a casual fan of Get Dead and their album Dancing With The Curse wasn't even on my radar of anticipated releases of 2020. That was until I stumbled through a Youtube-hole into a clip of them performing at the Weekend at Fatty's virtual concert, which featured a handful of songs from their (then) upcoming release. The performances of Fire Sale and Stickup in particular drove me to pre-add the album to my library and it has been on regular rotation since it was released in October. The 12 tracks on Dancing blend elements of hip-hop, ska, and hardcore nicely to create a listening experience where no song sounds the same as the last but which still feels cohesive and firmly rooted in the band’s California punk roots.

Favourite song: Stickup

8. Wonderful Hell by War On Women

It doesn’t feel like that long ago that War On Women made my list of top 10 albums of 2018 but maybe I’m just not used to my favourite bands releasing music more often than every 4 to 7 years. Wonderful Hell is War On Women’s third full-length with Bridge9 and the band has thankfully kept their anger and vitriol towards the socio-political environment and unjust system that the majority of the world finds itself trapped in. The crisp production and dynamic song structures feel like a natural progression for the band who have always pushed the boundaries of traditional hardcore, so even a 6-minute slow-building song like Demon doesn’t feel out of place and instead just leaves you wanting more.

If you’re a fan of the album or the band in general, make sure to check out Shawna’s new podcast, But Her Lyrics, to get more insight into the songs and the stories behind the album.

Favourite song: The Ash is Not the End

7. Ctrl Alt Del by Pmx

I was introduced to Pmx by Colin, friend and founder of CPRW, as a recommendation related to the MPF 2018 line-up and it remains one of the best recommendations anyone has given me ever. The Scottish quartet have established themselves as one of the best at combining the sound of punk from the 90s, with technical flourishes found in modern melodic skate punk. On Ctrl Alt Del, Pmx takes their tried and tested formula and improves on it with more mature song writing, tighter melodies, and cleaner production. I was looking forward to seeing the band perform these songs live at MPF 2020 before it was cancelled so I’m hoping to get the chance when live music is safe again. If you’re a fan of 90s Epifat punk and melodic skate punk, then Ctrl Alt Del should be in your record collection or digital library.

Favourite song: Tongue Tied

6. Brave Faces Everyone by Spanish Love Songs

They’ve done it again. Everyone loved Spanish Love Songs’ sophomore effort Schmaltz in 2018 and I have no doubt that Brave Faces Everyone will be near the top of many top 10 lists this year. Instead of taking the success of Schmaltz and rehashing the same formula with new lyrics, the band have taken a big step into embracing and refining their own unique sound with trembling vocals pushed to the limit, lyrics dripping with authenticity, cracking production, and big choruses that I can only imagine people screaming at the top of their lungs with fists in the air. Brave Faces Everyone is an album that anyone (not only fans of underground punk music) can relate to and enjoy. It teaches us that it’s ok and you’re not alone if your life is not perfect all the time.

Favourite song: Kick

5. Lament by Touché Amoré

I was first drawn to Touché Amoré with their 2013 album, Is Survived By, then found myself completely floored by 2016’s Stage Four, and looked forward to Lament from the moment I heard the first released single ‘Limelight’ back in July. Touché Amoré have always been able to pull off a level of raw emotion and intensity that very few other bands can without being overly heavy or excessive. While Stage Four dealt with the devastating blow of Bolm losing his mother to cancer, Lament looks at life following such grief without putting any specific focus on it. There are lighter moments in more upbeat melodic songs like Reminders, but overall the tone remains poignant. The contrast between the powerful vocals of Jeremy Bolm and the almost clean instrumentation is captivating and engrosses you from the first song to the last. Touché Amoré recently uploaded their Lament record release live stream to Youtube and, while it’s no substitute for the real thing, it’s well worth the watch for anyone like me who has yet to witness the band perform live in person.

Favourite song: Exit Row

4. Death In Venice Beach by The Bombpops

I’ve been a fan of The Bombpops since their Red Scare days and absolutely loved their first two EPs, Like I Care and Stole The TV; so, naturally I had high expectations when they signed with Fat Wreck in 2016. Although I enjoyed their debut album, Fear Of Missing Out, I found it to be a bit “light” and never really fell in love with it. Since hearing the Death In Venice Beach lead singles Notre Dame and Double Arrows Down, my internal hype machine started working overtime and I put a lot of effort into trying to control my own expectations. Thankfully the release completely blew me away and has been one of my most played albums of the year. Poli van Dam and Jen Razavi seem to have perfected their dual vocal harmonies and the SoCal punk melodies that were made famous by many of their older Fat Wreck counterparts. The music is a little edgier, the themes and lyrics are a little darker this time around, making for an album that is just a joy to listen to from beginning to end.

Favourite song: Radio Silence

3. Sad In The City by Broadway Calls 

Sad In The City was exactly what I needed when it was released early in July during one of our strictest lockdown periods here in South Africa and only a few weeks after receiving the news of the postponement of Fest 19. Broadway Calls’ latest album was one of the few highlights during a very dark time. Sad In The City isn’t a massive departure from their trademark pop-punk sound but still stands out in their catalogue as sonically different and almost experimental at times. In my opinion, the production plays a big role here with some fuzzy guitars, driving bass, and thumping drums helping to set the album apart from the rest of the band’s catalogue. Song after song, this album proves that even after a 7-year break, Broadway Calls can still write great songs with plenty of big singalong choruses and dance-along melodies.

Favourite song: Went Dyin’

2. Resignation by After The Fall 

After The Fall have always played short, fast, and loud – but never compromising melody or technical proficiency. With Resignation, 13 minutes is all the band needs to blaze through 10 of the best songs of the skate punk and melodic hardcore variety. This album is short but what it lacks in length it makes up with catchy melodies, superb musicianship, and an energy that is hard to find anywhere else; all delivered at lightning speed. The lyrical topics touch on mental health, social issues, and politics, with the usual dose of introspection that After The Fall has always been so good at. My only complaint is that I don’t have the vinyl yet.

Favourite song: Absent Minded

1. Revolution Spring by The Suicide Machines

Who knew my favourite album of the year would be ska?! Revolution Spring is good. Really good. I’m not sure what kept The Suicide Machines off my radar for so long, but I was super late to the party and only really became a fan just before they broke up when they released their 2005 album War Profiteering Is Killing Us All, which was full of aggression towards the Bush administration, with just a touch of ska. Fast forward 15 years, the band has reunited and played some reunion shows, toured sporadically and, after being unhappy to be labelled as just another “nostalgia-act”, decided to unleash some new music into the world. What a gift it turned out to be. With the help of Roger Lima at the helm of the production desk, The Suicide Machines have managed to take their history of varied music styles and unite them to make an album with the best elements of ska, pop-punk, and hardcore to create one catchy, aggressive, energetic, and relevant package that has thrust The Suicide Machines to the top of my list.

Favourite Song: Play Caesar

Less Than Jake’s Silver linings was VERY CLOSE to making my list, but I’ve only been able to listen to it once since writing this and I just can’t justify bumping any of the bands and albums on the current list based on only one listen so far. Plus, two ska albums in my top ten would have looked suspicious.

Some of my favourite “other things” this year:

Livestreams from Mike Herrera, Booze Cruise and Dream Nails.

EP’s released by The Lippies, Braincoats and Strike Anywhere (it has 7 songs… it’s an EP).

Live albums released by Fuzigish, Dillinger Four and Slick Shoes.

Netflix originals The Queen’s Gambit and Unorthodox.

Youtube videos from Mikey and his uke, Goldfinger and BKXC (riding bike when I couldn’t).

This top ten was written by Brett Coomer.