Sacramento's Stars are Falling are yet another in long line of bands coming out of California and inking a deal with Blood & Ink Records, an imprint of Facedown Records. So you basically know what you are going to get here even before you listen to it. Yup, you guessed it more Jesus loving metalcore that today's sleeveless t-shirt camo shorted youth of today eats up. Whoopee.
Stars are Falling not only have heaps upon heaps of mosh parts they also have requisite gang vocals and singing parts. Sometimes Stars are Falling play fast recalling Comeback Kid or even early With Honor. I actually like the fast melodic parts with the before mentioned crooning. It's not that I haven't heard it a million times before; nevertheless it's done well. Sadly all great melodic parts are often segued into a jud jud part that I don't want to hear ever again in my lifetime.
Stars are Falling is not the worst thing I've heard. They aren't as boneheaded as xDeathstarx nor are they as horrible as Across Five Aprils. I've just had enough of bands that concentrate more on writing a good mosh part so their fans can practice their sweet moves too. I could only hope to one day review a band from either Blood & Ink or Facedown that doesn't make me think of teenagers spinning around their bedrooms in a testosterone driven rage, sadly Stars are Falling are not that band.
Stars are Falling reminds me of Shai Hulud with none of the innovation, or Comeback Kid with none of the enthusiasm. It's so run of the mill that I wonder why Stars are Falling even exist do to their complete mediocrity as they offer song after typical song on The Consequence of Revenge. I know hardcore isn't the bastion of musical originality but wouldn't it be great to hear a metalcore band do something just a bit different than the scores and scores of metalcore bands that preceded them? I can only hope that this day comes soon or this genre finally dies out.
The Consequence of Revenge is yet another album could be easily replaced by any other band that ape this type of heavy mosh driven hardcore. Stars Are Falling do all the parts in such a textbook manner than I think Blood & Ink gives every band on their label a manual on how to play mediocre metal tinged hardcore. It's so by the numbers that I can tell what's coming before it even happens. Mosh part here, singing part here, and gang vocal there. I can't make myself like band that's so run of the mill especially when they play a type of hardcore I haven't enjoyed since the days of Unbroken and Integrity. Hopefully labels like Indianola, Blood & Ink, and Facedown will either start signing different bands or stop sending Scene Point Blank promos. I always feel bad for bands like Stars are Falling as their album goes unclaimed by the other reviewers. I figure what the hell maybe there's a good metalcore band out there somewhere. Sadly, that hasn't happened and I'm not going to give The Consequence of Revenge a good review just to keep my mailbox from feeling lonely.
