ALL THINGS FALLEN: Shadow Way
The World Where We Live
For those not familiar, All Things Fallen is the solo/side-project of Markus Sigfridsson (Darkwater/Harmony/7 Days). The self-titled debut on Black Oak Records snuck under radar in 2020, but that album was filled with an excellent collection of progressive rock/metal songs. Back with 9 more songs, Erik Tordsson (End of September) on vocals and Leo Margaret (Pain of Salvation) on drums, All Things Fallen, on Shadow Way, present a nice mix of melody, dynamic composition and quality execution as the soundtrack to a dark and controlled dystopia – the world where we live!
Conceptually/lyrically Shadow Way works on two levels – the description of the world in which we live where we are blinded to the truth of reality by the governmental powers and those who ultimately control our lives and want to control the power and money in a way to manipulate the masses into their complacent position in society. But I also see the parallel in these words to the spiritual state of mankind – where what we think we may value and believe is a deception as well, that we have this yearning to attain freedom, a sense of value and purpose, but with the realization that something is wrong with the world/our lives, and that we should not lose hope in finding the truth and the deliverance from the bonds of deception, oppression and self-doubt in which we are entwined.
Musically, these songs fall into the progressive rock/metal realm with melodic vocals. Erik Tordsson – who fulfills a secondary role to his female counterpoint in End of September – is afforded the lead vocals (as was the case with the All Things Fallen debut). Again, he reminds me of Henrik Bath (Darkwater) in style and tone. The production quality and balance is superb, thanks to Markus Sigfridsson himself and the mixing and mastering of Dennis Koehne.
The Songs
Opening track “The Sentinel” sets the stage for what follows – melodic, dark prog with plenty of emotion/expression all set to a moderate pace. On this opening track Tordsson establishes his presence, yet we also are treated to Sigfridsson’s deeper catharsis as he queries…
“How can we see things clearly/The world is so dim
How can we find a way/Into a promised land”
With a sense of urgency, “Rebirth” points to the reality of our circumstance both musically and lyrically…
He’ll bring us the sunrise/I feel there’s nothing left to say/He’ll bring us the sunlight/And we will fade away … I can’t believe that you still try to find/Some peace of mind when you’re so out of line/I still believe that the truth is sublime/But we are all running out of time”
My only disappointment of this album is the brevity of the instrumental track “Chaos System.” Essentially an intro – with some spoken words – to the subsequent track, it just feels too short and under-developed. This in stark contrast to the brilliant song which follows…
“Pandemonium” is one of the strongest tracks here. Not only does it so accurately describe and depict musically the world we have created for ourselves, but it features violin (Maria Grigoryeva) accompaniment in the spirit of Kansas and Believer – the violin lending that eerie, yet hauntingly beautiful timbre to the feast. In that regard, beautiful closing sequence.
While this entire album features sublime lyrical exegesis on the reality of existence, this song surpasses the others with its harsh, yet truthful expression and critique of the world with which we find ourselves intimately entangled.
“We burn/We shoot and we push/We fight/We bomb and we cut/We lie/We manipulate and threaten/We divide/We medicate and rape…
“Pandemonium/We indoctrinate, this is our world/Our pandemonium/This is our creation”
“This is the belief system/This, this is statism/This, this is religion/Is this humanity?”
“Pandemonium/There is nothing more, this wouldn’t be/A Pandemonium/Without systems depending on chaos”
These musical themes are continued on “Path of Dismay,” an even heavier track with violin virtuosity, a Middle Eastern vibe and great guitar riffs. Musically, this track represents the culmination of creative energy preceding tracks have built upon. The middle section has that Dream Theater take, the keyboard solo and guitars vying against one another.
“Narcissistic Ritual” is yet another dynamic track with some amazing keyboard work and the expressive drumming flairs of Margaret. These lyrics are telling:
“Turning the sane to the flame/Narcissistic ritual/Your freewill will burn away/In this isolation”
“Kiss of Death” follows with plenty of guitar riffs, groove and solos – the effective vocal interplay between Tordsson and Sigfridsson a highlight. Once again the lyrics speak volumes…
“You are lost in your own conceived maze/Feelings of imperfection in you/It doesn’t matter if it’s real or not/You are controlled to the end”
And I love the opening lyric salvo on the nearly 8-minute “Desert of the Real” …
“You don’t know what it is but you/You feel that there is more/To life than what you’ve been told … You’ve felt it your entire life/That something is wrong with our world/Like a splinter in your mind/You are here to wake up”
This song not only features these discerning words, but fluid guitar solos and leads pushed along with some excellent bass and drum rhythms.
The keyboard/synth lead into the (final) title track reminds of the ‘90’s act Digital Ruin. That band kept a strong synth presence in every song, without fail. That band, not surprisingly, also delved into themes of dark utopian realities. “Shadow Way,” in a way, projects a ray of light into the sobering reality of the aural world of All Things Fallen.
“Unchain/Embrace/Your Shadow/Master the perception/Away from deception/Into dominion”
The CD release in jewel case features a 16-page booklet with lyrics and credits. Primo.
With Shadow Way, Markus Sigfridsson and friends have succeeded in not only building upon the foundation of the self-titled release, but in progressing to the next level of creativity, production quality and performance. Bravo.
Available at Amazon and Ulterium Records
Track Listing:
1. The Sentinel (6:26)
2. Rebirth (5:12)
3. Chaos System (1:04)
4. Pandemonium (5:09)
5. Path of Dismay (6:20)
6. Narcissistic Ritual (5:09)
7. Kiss of Death (5:26)
8. Desert of the Real (7:59)
9. Shadow Way (5:59)
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