“You want me to suffocate, I want you to see the better side of me.”
Earlier this year, we began seeing teasers for a brand-new supergroup featuring members of MouthBreather and Fromjoy. Both of those bands are heavy hitters in their own right, so when 6 Months to Live started teasing their debut track, “ashing on my hand” back in June, people were understandably hyped about what was to come from this group. And now, we finally see the final product of what these guys had to offer with their debut EP, FALLING DOWN LIKE AN OMEN. Unsurprisingly, they delivered five outstanding tracks that perfectly mesh the styles of both intersectional projects, as well as expanding on both to create their own unique style.
We are immediately shown this with the opening riff of “change your name“, which slaps you in the face within the first three seconds of clicking “play”. This riff perfectly fits the lyrical aspect, as it talks about someone putting their all into a relationship but believing the other person constantly fails them. Vocalist Brett Cates screams, “Can you kill me now? Can you do anything right but let me down?”, laying it all out bare for anyone to hear. This song also has the first instance of the stellar clean vocals from Nick Cates, with the best chorus on the EP. Cates knows the relationship has run its course as he sings, “So tell me that you love me before the memories rush in. I hope I made you happy, don’t think I’ll ever reach you again”. “change your name” is a stellar opening track, wonderfully showing you exactly what to expect as we delve further into FALLING DOWN LIKE AN OMEN.
As we go into “built to fail“, the track makes you think it’s going to be more of a pop tune with the opening synth. But as soon as you let your guard down, drummer Jordan King and guitarist Derek Lamoreaux hit you with another pummeling riff. The further we go into the track, the more it transforms into something in the style of melodic metalcore. It’s not something you expect, but as it fades in, it’s definitely a welcoming sound. We are then hit with another great chorus from Cates, more in the style of the opening synth. While this song is great, this is where the band shows potential but misses the mark, due to hitting the same targets they just hit with “change your name“. While this is an expected snag with a standard song structure, the track makes you feel like they could be experimenting more, especially as we go further into the EP. All this being said, you will be sure to find a lot of enjoyment with this track, especially as the song ends on a breakdown with a great snare tone from King.
Now, we go into the penultimate track of FALLING DOWN LIKE AN OMEN with “ashing on my hand“. Everyone is running on full cylinders with this track. King‘s sinuous drumming carries this track, and Cates delivers some outstanding bass work as well. The EP tends to follow a loose storyline, with this track laying out how they’ve killed their partner and having their ashing on their hands. We cannot forget to mention the stellar mix and master from Adam Cichocki, as well, which elevates not only this track, but the whole EP to new heights. “ashing on my hand” also includes what will probably be people’s favorite chorus on the EP as well, as Cates sings, “All you are is a picture just once, it’ll be alright for me. Then I’m not coming with you, I’m done.” This track wonderfully shows the great dichotomy Brett and Nick Cates’ vocals have with each other throughout the EP, all while fitting together beautifully. Lamoreaux’s guitar playing is at an all-time high on this track too, matching the technical nature of King‘s drumming. “ashing on my hand” is the gateway track that will pull fans of MouthBreather and Fromjoy, or the genre as a whole, into what the band are trying to tell, while also getting them ready for the rest of the EP.
After “ashing on my hand“, we go into “i can’t cry, but i want to“. This track shows the most experimentation on the EP, showcasing the peak of what Cates’ clean vocals have to offer, along with Lamoreaux’s catchiest guitar lick. The lyrics show the narrator coming to terms with being the problem, saying he needs to fix his head, and how he wants the partner to see the better side of him. But he believes he’s done so much damage that his partner completely hates him, and whether that’s true or his mind is playing tricks on him, is up for the listener to interpret. This is definitely the track with the most self-absorption, as Cates sings, “I gotta fix my head, I gotta shut it down. Because it wants me dead” and screams lyrics such as, “You want to see me suffocate, I want you to see the better side of me”. While some people might find that to be a bad thing, it actually helps the story they’re trying to tell throughout the EP. It helps that this track has the most sing-along parts as well. If you wanted more pop with your metalcore, this is the track for you.
We then end the EP with “pop your blisters, pick your bedsores“. This is the heaviest track on the EP, with Cates bringing out his craziest screams on the release. This also has by far the most ruthless breakdown of the project. If you wanted this band to go as heavy as possible, this is what you were waiting for. Don’t forget about the fact that this has yet another great chorus, either. This is probably the most theatrical chorus on the EP, with its melodies almost akin to bands like Avenged Sevenfold (shown mainly in the second chorus). All these little details mesh together for an extremely satisfying and massive closer. The band perfectly wraps up here, leaving it such that you’ll be craving for more. The band has said what they needed to say, and you’re sure to love it.
And with that, we have finished FALLING DOWN LIKE AN OMEN. This is an extraordinary first effort from 6 Months to Live. The amount of potential presented on these five tracks truly is something to behold. While there is room to grow and expand on their sound, the MouthBreather/Fromjoy boys have created a compelling batch of songs. If you are into the post-hardcore/metalcore sound or are a fan of either band, you will absolutely find something to enjoy here. Whatever 6 Months to Live do after this will be a sight to behold, and we will definitely be watching.
9/10
FALLING DOWN LIKE AN OMEN independently releases on October 17 on all streaming platforms.