Falconer, From a dying ember

If you thought I wrote few posts last year, wait until you see the count on this one… 2020 will go down as one of the shittiest years in history and by having all events cancelled, including live concerts and to a certain extent album releases, it’s certainly affecting the way this blog is going.

Keeping up with the spirit of “so what else is going to go wrong?”, Falconer have recently announcing they are retiring. And while I will certainly miss them, I have a lot of respect for a band who openly admits they are not at the peak of creativity anymore and don’t want to drag it on with mediocre records that are put out just for the sake of it. Therefore, the aptly named From a dying ember (I assume it symbolises the use of their last efforts) will be their swan song.

For the most part, it’s not very different from their regular style (which is quite consistent, anyway), but it’s slightly heavier, tapping into fast paced folk metal drumming on occassion. It’s a less cheesy and less over-the-top-cheery power metal, that still maintains a lot of positivity and gives off a good vibe, making me want to sing along and shake my head.

From a dying ember is filled with straightforward, melodious, led by Mathias Blad’s warm clear voice. Redeem and repent is catchy and playfull, Bland sump och dy is a violin-led folk tune in Swedish (how I love that side of them, a lot more than the power one) and Fool’s crusade is a determined, yet sorrowful (by Falconer standards) piece that reminds me of Robin Hobb’s stories (I suppose the word “fool” will always mean “THE Fool” in my head).

From a dying ember moves on with a cute medieval instrumental, Garnets and the gilded rose and a cheerful, yet repetitive track, In regal attire.

Rejoice the adorned has the potential of being a lovely ballad, full of feeling and warmth, but unfortunately slips into cheesy territory. It’s redeemed, however, by Mathias, who displays his soothing vocals in all of their glory.

Probably the most engaging song, Thrust the dagger deep moves through various rhythms and styles, including classic rock keyboards and a cool guitar solo, in a rather uncharacteristic way for Falconer, who are more predictable and unadventurous.

Equally interesting is Rapture, with heavy drumming and impassioned singing, melodic yet intense, a fitting ending for Falconer’s 21 years career.

How nice it is to hear a band retire with a solid release that only lets you want more, instead of getting to the point where you go “are those guys still playing?” or even worse, “WHY are those guys still playing?”. If this is what comes out from a dying ember, what more could we have been delighted with had Stefan allowed his creativity to roam freely for a bit longer?

I truly enjoy Falconer, there is a warmth and candour in their music that always gives me a pleasant vibe. Even though they are not among my favourites, I must admit that hearing the last notes of From a dying ember and realising that this is it left me nostalgic and stung a bit. Farewell, Falconer, thank you for the beauty and joy you brought!