RISE TO FALL were formed in 2006 and they come from Bilbao, Spain. The melodic Groove Metal outfit release their fifth full-length album "The Fifth Dimension" and it has a length of approximately 49 minutes. Pedro J. Monge (EVIL SEEDS; VHÄLDEMAR) produced the album at Chromaticity Studio. It was released via German label Noble Demon, which has many Death, Black, and Thrash Metal bands among their current roster.

"The Fifth Dimension" starts with "Rising Sun", and after a short electronic pre-lude, the track continues with powerful guitar riffing at mid-tempo. The vocals are a mixture of harsh and clean vocals around the medium end of the vocal range. "Rising Sun" has many tempo and rhythm changes between mid-tempo and up-tempo, where the choruses are the faster parts of the track supported by a lot of double-bass drumming. The melodic framework has quite a bit of Metalcore vibes. "Hierophant" has a fast start with heavy riffing for the verse parts. While the verse parts are very dynamic and have a lot of aggression, the slow bridge transitions into an almost anthemic chorus part. Highlight is the lead guitar solo during the mid-tempo break. "Hierophant" is a well-composed mixture of aggression and catchiness in the melodies, and it is no surprise that the track was released as video and the YouTube link is provided below. "Intruder" has an epic start with the guitars leading into a powerful verse part. The song has a simple verse/chorus structure, where the chorus part is driven by the sing-along melodies. "Intruder" is the track of guest contributions. Pedro J. Monge (VHÄLDEMAR) provides the excellent lead guitar solo and Björn Strid (SOILWORK; ACT OF DENIAL) adds an extra layer with the vocals.

"Test Of Time" starts with thunderous riffing at a measured pace before transitioning to mid-tempo, where the lead guitars and the drumming drive the verse parts forward. There are a few twists in tempo and rhythm throughout the track. "Test Of Time" is the track lead by the guitar melodies and the comprehensive drumming. "Empty Ward" is one of the faster and more aggressive tracks at least for some parts. The riffing is tight, however, the heaviness fades away, when the melodic chorus parts start taking over the track. Eventually it is a mixture of fast, dynamic parts and the melodic chorus parts. Altogether, "Empty Ward" is still one of the heaviest tracks on the album. "Infinite Crossroad" starts with an electronic, tension-building pre-lude, transitioning into an extended lead guitar part. The riffing for the verse part is once again sharp at a fast pace, while the chorus parts slow the track down and the melodies take off heaviness. The vocals fit into that concept nicely with the heavier verse parts are performed with the harsh vocals, while the melodic choruses come with the clean vocals. "What Lies Beneath" fits very well into the concept of fast and aggressive verse parts and easy-to-listen melodic chorus parts, although this track is heavier and darker than most album songs. Highlight is once again the very contributing lead guitar solo.

"Heroes" starts with an acoustic guitar part transitioning into a verse part at measured tempo and melancholic melodies. It is, given the tempo, the nature of the melodies and the vocal melodies, the song with the most ballad-esque features. "The Great Chain" has distinctly more pace and aggression compared to "Heroes" at least during the verse parts. The song follows the familiar album patterns, although there are more twists in melodies and rhythm throughout the track, which does not make it easy to listen to. In fact, I got lost at times with all the changes in melodies. However, the track is one of the heavier on the album. "Beam Of Light" is another slow song on the album, during the verse parts, while the chorus parts are heavy at mid-tempo. As the melodies and song structures are similar throughout the album, the last few songs sound a bit repetitive. The album closes with "Black Ocean" and it all starts with a symphonic pre-lude, introducing the main melody of the track. The verse parts are fast and dynamic with the guitars and the harsh vocals driving the track forward. The chorus parts provide again the melodies of the track however, pace and dynamics are maintained, and this makes "Black Ocean" to one of the best tracks on the album.

RISE TO FALL deliver a solid mixture of melodic Groove Metal and Metalcore. "The Fifth Dimension" has its ups and downs. The songs follow a clear structural and melodic concept, which defines the trademark sound of RISE TO FALL. On the other hand, the mixture of direct heavy parts and melodic parts is a well-tried concept and nothing new. More importantly, it sounds a bit repetitive at times, making the album to a kind of "if-you-know-one-track-you-know-them-all" album, which is a bit unfortunate given the excellent guitar and drumming contributions. The album is well produced. "The Fifth Dimension" will have its share of fans. Is this an album to be remembered? Time will tell.