Metalcore veterans FOR THE FALLEN DREAMS maintains their claim as titans of the genre, not to be messed with and something new fans are always happy to discover. Though their sound has progressed with time, their latest self-titled album "For the Fallen Dreams" is a perfect example of the flexibility of metalcore, and how bands are able to evolve and expand their use of clean and unclean vocals with distinct metal musicality. FOR THE FALLEN DREAMS has gone through their share of changes during their two decades in the industry, and this album, released this past March under Arise Empire, just serves as a reminder of the band's adaptibility and drive to deliver primal-yet-emotional music.

The opening track "Re-Animate" should be all you need to gage the latest direction their sound has taken, and the heaviness of the album varies with some tracks having cleaner vocals than others. Chad Ruhlig and Jim Hocking's vocal combination allow for tracks like "What If" and "Searching..." that utilize rap/spoken word style vocals. While this style can often be met with criticism, the execution makes for songs that easily gets stuck in your head. My personal favorite "Supra Personal" has a nostalgic feel akin to early 2000s alternative metal bands. Damon Austen Tate's guitar solo in "No Heaven" leaves no room for any criticism, and in general, FOR THE FALLEN DREAMS simply sounds like they put their confidence into this album with each member having pivotal intros and sections within tracks.

FOR THE FALLEN DREAMS is fully aware that their sound has changed as the years have gone on, however, their confidence in this album is on full display. Though seniors within the genre who are more familiar with their earlier sound are hesitant to welcome in the new, young fans who are newer have taken a liking to the album and are vocal in support. The fact that they still produce music that is, frankly, a perfect example of the direction Metalcore is going is a feat that cannot be taken away. The "For the Fallen Dreams" album should be welcomed as part of any Metalcore fan's playlist, and we can expect great drops as the band continues through this new evolution of sound.