Here's a draft of a review I wrote for a local publication:
Falconer rocks your socks.
Whenever a band goes through a vocalist change, there seem to be clashing opinions about the one who enters and takes the duty of singing. Reactions often are divided mainly in two camps, one of them disregarding the replacement almost completely, while the other will be content with praising the newcomer to no end. In Falconer's case, the departure of vocalist Mathias Blad after the second album has left many with an unquenchable thirst for whine, complaining endlessly about how new vocalist Kristoffer Göbel is too generic and doesn't bring the same vibe as the former singer. On the other hand, there are those who try to elevate Göbel status to that of a vocalist who can do no wrong. The problem with such differing opinions is that perceptions get clouded by preconcieved ideas, and a real objective judgement of the music fails to materialize. One should always strive to judge music on its own terms, understanding what its intention is and what is the artist trying to achieve.
It would seem that this time Falconer got interested in pure, unadulterated heavy metal; you know, the classic ones like Judas Priest and Iron Maiden, as this album definitely has a traditional, full metal vibe to it. It's like if the band would have said "let's have fun!". This doesn't mean that their original sound has completely disappeared, but it serves more as a backdrop to the more metallic approach. Admittedly, the album starts slow, the first thing that might come to mind is that Falconer wimped out, with an opening track that has 'radio-friendly' written over it, and then the third song, while featuring decent music, has horrible lyrics that can lead to think the band was ripping off Linkin Park when it comes to that department. A certain feeling of disappointment was starting to make itself present, but thankfully "Humanity Overdose" changed that quickly. At that moment the album shows its real strength and doesn't let go. From there on, every single song simply rocks, some in a straight ahead manner, while others take much more interesting paths.
Whereas the previous albums relied on an epic and majestic atmosphere to conduct their business, Grime vs. Grandeur takes a completely different approach; the songs are, for the most part, straight ahead, rocking heavy / power metal with a touch of grittiness, and then there are other compositions that hint at the old style, while bringing an interesting and imaginative trait to them. The co-production team of Andy La Rocque, along with Weinerhall and Göbel created a powerful sound that, even though it can sound a bit polished at times, doesn't fail to have an organic feel to it. There is an underlying sense of upbeat energy that permeates the album, fortunately this is not one of the overtly happy kind of upbeatness. Weinerhall has a knack for creating very memorable melodies, and these are finely crafted to fit their purpose, which means they are energic and catchy, yet not the 'happy happy joy joy' kind (Well, except for that über cheesy chorus on "Emotional Skies"). Jimmy Hedlund's fast, metal heroics actually add to the music, instead of just being boring shred fests that many guitarists play. The rhythm section gets a boost with the addition of Magnus Linhardt, who has some good ideas in the form of melody lines that augument the music's intention perfectly, and the drums, although sounding as if they were somewhat triggered at times, are quite musical as always. Kristoffer Göbel is the real surprise here, with a magnificent performance that should keep quiet all detractors, showing great range and versatility, sometimes perhaps trying a bit too much, as some notes make him sound as if he's really straining it, but such ocurrences are few and between, he gets it pretty good for the most part; he actually reminded of some of the greatest vocalists, such as Dickinson, Halford, Diamond, and he even sings some parts in that baritone style that Mathias Blad was known for. There is a feeling of passion on his voice, and one can understand why he is Falconer's singer; many people were happy with Blad, myself included, but he was always missing something that Göbel has, and that is a metal heart. Kristoffer is a metal vocalist.
The best track is probably the aforementioned "Humanity Overdose", a monster song that shows the strength of this new Falconer sound. The songwriting is non-linear, imaginative and interesting, creating different moods within a single atmosphere, all of it while flowing very smoothly. That is the sign of a well written song, fellows. The main riff is unmistakenly Weinerhall, the vocals are very versatile and show the plethoric abilities of Göbel, and even though the song is one of many to feature big choruses, these work because instead of having millions of layers of a single voice, the whole band sings, making the result dynamic, crafting a sound that could be featured on a rock opera such as Jesuschrist Superstar. Another standout track is "Child of the Wild" which also brings the same level of composition, but also adds some nods to the old epic Falconer sound, taking the listener through different realms of creativity, creating moods that suit the lyrics perfectly. It's clear that Stefan Weinerhall's sense of composition has matured and grown stronger, while retaining part of the trademark Falconer sound.
Although I find myself enjoying this album very much, I can't say it's the best thing the band is capable of. I still miss the majestic, epic sound that Falconer was known for. The lyrics used to be much more better too, relying on a certain poetic style that seems to be lost for the most part on this album. Perhaps this is done on purpose, given that many of the subjects don't warrant such stylings. Still, Grime vs. Grandeur is a good record that shows a different face of Falconer; the rocking one. The songs that follow this rule are good enough to stand on its own, but if the band choses to continue walking the path shown on "Humanity Overdose" and refusing to go again into the realms of the "I Refuse"'s of the world, they will surely reach levels of greatness that are merely being hinted at now.
Choice Tracks: Humanity Overdose, No Tears for Strangers, Child of the Wild.
Worst Tracks: I Refuse.
