Brian M.
Falls of Rauros has created something so harsh & raw, yet so refined & beautiful; and with their musicality at perhaps the best it's ever been, they have released what will surely be one of the best releases of 2022.
Favorite track: Known World Narrows.
Sean TPLTR
Falls of Rauros are an instant buy without even listening. Prepare for your mind to be taken on a journey of positivity and sorrow. Who needs therapy when you have a band like Falls of Rauros?
Favorite track: Daggers in Floodlight.
cassandraleo
If you've ever wondered what it would sound like if 1970-1976-era Genesis made a black metal record, you may be happy to know that (1) at least five other people on the planet have wondered the same thing: me, and the four members of Falls of Rauros; and (2) you now have an answer: this album. Beautiful concept, beautiful production, beautiful album. This may be second only to The Long Defeat as my favourite record of 2022 so far. It may even end up tied.
Falls of Rauros of Portland, ME return with their 6th full-length album Key to a Vanishing Future. As a band that has mastered the balance of melody and dynamics within heavy songwriting, Falls of Rauros now faces a new era as a creative force. Since their founding as a duo in 2005 the band has expanded into a fully-realized and collaborative quartet. Although originally intent on exploring the common ground between black metal, rock, and folk music, the group’s continuous goal has been to bring together the raw materials of numerous styles of music and forge something seamless and new, rich with detail and texture. Recorded in isolation by the band themselves, the new record holds no regard for what is expected in the evolution of their sound, pays no mind to the current popular sounds of heavy music, and opens all possible doors. The band details:
“We wanted to write something new to us; it sounds nothing like our previous record, Patterns in Mythology, or like anything from our back catalog, for that matter. It’s a new chapter for the band, and you can be pretty sure we’ll move on to something a bit different on our next record.”
In addition to expanding upon their sonic identity, Falls of Rauros also approached the album’s themes with an increased scope, as the lyrics explore ideas around the commitment of existence. As clarified by the band:
“The idea behind Key to a Vanishing Future is that humans are born into this world without consent and forced to take on both the weight of human history and a responsibility for shaping the future. Both the failures and successes of previous generations are passed to the next, and the younger generation has no choice but to inherit the world they are given. Tradition, religion and religious superstition, debt, disease, addiction, the histrionics of desperate people living in a crumbling empire; all of these things wedge their way into our lives whether we invite them to or not.”
Key to a Vanishing Future is the most intricate and exploratory of the band’s career, while at the same time the most visceral and immediate.
“We are handed a key to the future, but what does that future look like?”
credits
released March 25, 2022
Key to a Vanishing Future was written and recorded by Falls of Rauros at their rehearsal space from December 2020 to January 2021. Mixing and mastering by Colin Marston at Menegroth, the Thousand Caves in Queens, New York from January to March, 2021. It will be released in North America by Gilead Media and the rest of the world by Eisenwald on March 25, 2022 on CD and Digital formats. Vinyl is in production and a release date will be announced soon.
All artwork by Austin Lunn. Artist photo by Drew Buerhaus.
Falls of Rauros is:
Ray Capizzo – drums
Aaron Charles - guitar, vocals
Jordan Guerette - guitar, vocals, keyboards
Evan Lovely - bass
supported by 197 fans who also own “Key To A Vanishing Future”
never been a big death metal fan but this is actually super accessible for the genre, has fun concepts, and personally i'm always a fan of albums with short tracklists and huge runtimes (for individual songs) Great time, good jumping on point for newbies too. alienasu
supported by 192 fans who also own “Key To A Vanishing Future”
What an impressive piece of black metal. This one-man hurricane is pure art. Sgah‘gahsowáh creates an haunting atmosphere. He puts so much soul in his music. Sælzer Bub
supported by 170 fans who also own “Key To A Vanishing Future”
Blackbraid quickly followed up their 2022 debut in 2023 with more native folk infused furious black metal. This is by no means a sophomore slump as it is equally excellent, methodical, melodical, and approachable as the first record. 9/10 RJ
supported by 164 fans who also own “Key To A Vanishing Future”
Extremely inventive and multifaceted sci-fi prog death, just like iridescent ethereal world on the cover art. Best band's achievement up to date. And easily in 2023 AOTY list Dmitry Nevozhay