After forming in 2023, UK alternative metal crew Falling Below didn’t have to wait long to find an audience. Their eponymously named debut release gained support from the BBC, Total Rock Radio and Kerrang!, and the promotion of the EP saw the band taking a prolific approach to live performances.
It’s not hard to hear why that debut was so well received by some. Although the material comes with a heavy edge, the band aren’t afraid of sharing a huge melody along the way. The greatest example of their complex sound can be heard throughout the EP’s ‘Save Me’, a five minute workout that takes the crunchy melodicism of Shinedown, adds the sheer punch of metalcore via a few sparingly applied double bass drums, and is unafraid of a couple of musical detours. The first of these introduces cleaner toned guitars, set against a punchy snare drum, hinting at a love of melodic prog metal. The twist becomes even more interesting once the first part of the featured guitar solo comes to the fore, with a sweeping tone that calls back to 80s metal in an unexpected way. This creates a superb contrast with the bulk of the track, but also allows the second part of the lead break to sound even more dominant, delivering a few more jagged notes, much closer in spirit to the rest of the track.
‘Save Me’ is the kind of number that signifies a new band taking some confident steps on the road to greatness, and their new single ‘Pieces’ – the first sounds shared from a new EP, due for release early in 2026 – certainly shares that same confident air.
‘Pieces’ opens with a wash of huge sounding keys and a glitchy rhythm, showing off an influence from Linkin Park, but the arrival of a clean sounding lead guitar acts as a quick reminder that this is the same band. Crashing into the verse, a jagged riff underscores a pleasingly broad vocal performance, really accentuating a melodic metal/alternative crunch, but it’s with the chorus that the track really comes to life. The marriage of huge sounding guitars and keys offers something that takes a typical alt-metal sound of the noughties and makes it even bigger, allowing Alex James Methven’s vocals to fly. In typical Falling Below style, things don’t settle there – even though these elements would make a great track on their own. At the eleventh hour, guitarists Luke Hawksworth and Christo Loukopolous share a moment of twin lead guitar work that’s pure 80s, melding the classic sounds of Iron Maiden with the more modern edge of Avenged Sevenfold.
It’s safe to say that if you enjoyed the band’s 2023 EP, you’ll absolutely love this. If ‘Pieces’ is your introduction to the Falling Below sound, you’ll certainly want to backtrack before the band deliver what promises to be an even stronger release.
Check out the video below.