Fireworks - The Melodic Rock Magazine album review of ‘The Failing Light’ (2003 demo), April 2005
[Fireworks - The Melodic Rock Magazine]
A long overdue review for this self-released CD, originally put out in November 2003 but which came to my attention after the band's excellent performance at the 2004 Bloodstock festival.
By way of introduction, Season's End have been in existence in one form or another for quite some time but began to seriously get it together around the middle of 2002, and had made the trek from deepest, darkest Hampshire to appear in Derby last September. Although the album was recorded by a four-piece band featuring Becki Clark (vocals, cello and viola), Dave Smith (keyboards), David Stanton (guitars, vocals, bass and keyboards) and Paul White (drums and percussion), onstage they were joined by Tom Nicholls on bass and Daryl Kellie on guitar, both of whom are now permanent members of the band.
OK, so first things first - 'The Failing Light' is a pretty complicated affair, and takes a few plays to get into: don't expect to press play and get it straight away. With six songs spread over 48 minutes we're not talking 'verse-chorus-verse-chorus-guitar-solo-chorus-end' song structures, and there's a lot going on within each song. Guitars, strings and keyboards compete for attention over numerous time changes, female and male vocals trade centre stage, there are drum fills aplenty and some very tasty guitar runs. The album's highlight for me has got to be the nine-and-a-bit-minute album closer 'Celestia' which is a perfect example of a well-crafted epic, with 'One Sadness' coming a close second, it's uplifting passages countering the overall melancholy of the lyrics. Taken overall in fact, 'The Failing Light' is a pretty downbeat affair, perhaps best personified by 'Innocence', a (relatively) short song coupled to 'One Sadness' by some beautiful keyboard work.
I don't suppose your local Virgin/HMV will have a copy of 'The Failing Light' so pick up a copy at a gig near you or from www.seasons-end.com. Meantimes, note that Season's End were one of the highlights on the side stage at Bloodstock 2004, and have been invited back to play at this year's event, this time on the main stage. See you down the front.
John Tucker of Fireworks - The Melodic Rock Magazine
http://www.rathole.com/fireworks/
