{"id":874,"date":"2025-06-13T13:21:56","date_gmt":"2025-06-13T12:21:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/frownedupon.net\/?p=874"},"modified":"2025-06-13T15:26:29","modified_gmt":"2025-06-13T14:26:29","slug":"review-time-for-the-unbroken-floodfall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/frownedupon.net\/index.php\/2025\/06\/13\/review-time-for-the-unbroken-floodfall\/","title":{"rendered":"Review Time – For The Unbroken Floodfall"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Hailing originally from Bozeman, Montana, now based in Portland, Oregon, Floodfall<\/strong><\/a> is a two-piece outfit consisting of David and Zane Hearst. Following their debut\u00a0Ashes of the Ordinary<\/em>, which quietly emerged back in 2019, they are now back. This return is with new music in the form of an album called\u00a0Unbroken<\/em>. It is Review Time<\/a><\/strong> for Floodfall<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Floodfall<\/strong> have earned positive nods before thanks to their dreamier sound and emotionally evocative songwriting. They really seem to be able to straddle that space between nostalgic guitar-led indie and something more modern and moody. There\u2019s a clear affection here for distortion, atmosphere, and slow-burning songcraft that allows their clear passion for music to resonate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Floodfalls<\/strong> passion is also what resonates with Frowned Upon<\/strong><\/mark>, to do something for personal satisfaction rather than adhering to typical standards. Frowned Upon celebrates that kind of work in the arts<\/a>, but no work is perfect, and in this writers opinion the majority of the bands small issues could be rectified with belief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Familiar and Formulaic Sounds<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Floodfall<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The duo\u2019s approach across Unbroken<\/em> quickly reveals a pattern, each track following a recognisable structure, with swirling guitars and subdued vocals attempting to conjure a kind of emotional gravity. There are moments when it almost clicks, when you feel the spark of what they\u2019re trying to achieve. When it doesn\u2019t click it does start to sound like a loop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having a pattern when it comes to songwriting and formulation is not in anyway a bad thing. Once established those patterns soon become referred to as \u2018styles<\/em>\u2019. This allows avid listeners to be able to work out who wrote what just from the audio. Early Metallica and recent Metallica songs are fairly different in tone. But that style, that soul of the band is still there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Voicing My Concerns<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"David<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Floodfalls<\/strong> singer David Hearst is a perfectly good singer, that is not up for debate. Each line is crisp, clear and deliberate and has a certain uniqueness. David Hearst’s delivery, while earnest, is not fully resonating\u2026yet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When looking at the biggest rock bands of all time, there is Black Sabbath, The Who, Guns \u2018n\u2019 Roses, Sabaton, Rammstein and countless others that can be seen as S-Tier. What do they all have in common?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each of those legendary singers is unique. Vocal talent and skill is of course needed to be a singer, but what makes vocals hit that legendary point is a sound that is bespoke to the band.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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