Learned Robb's Pit of Doom
learnedrobb.co.uk
Review by Robb Hitchin

Snot nosed, lo-fi, sleazy as fuck hard rock.

That is the easiest way to describe the sound of Falling Red. It comes across as if the Stooges were jamming with early Guns N Roses, recorded with maximum fuzz on the guitars. Even the singer has an Axl Rose-esque snarl to his sound, mixed in with a knowing punk yobishness.

The songs themselves are pretty well written, hinting (sometimes overtly)at the bands punk roots. Song titles like 'Looks Like Trouble' could easily have been ripped off a Sham 69 or Stooges lp, oozing a confident swagger, more befitting a band a couple of discs into their career.

Keeping it simple, this CD is well worth tracking down if you love 'Appetite...' era Guns N Roses, Early Motley Crue, Iggy and The Stooges, or even MC5. The only criticism I can give is that the guitars are sometime sto fuzzy and muffled, but given the low budget nature of this album, that is easily forgiven. 4/5

Rock3 Radio
rock3.co.uk.co.uk

Loud and raw rock n`roll, thrashing symbols, screaming volatile vocals, infectious driving rhythms, as the first track on Darkhour the debut album from 'falling red' opens up with 'madman messiah', track two 'looks like trouble' has Andy Roze sneering with classic rock and roll disdain and living out the title, he bellows with attitude throughout the song. The third track 'renegade' continues with the raw attitude the band have displayed on the opening scores, the album has thirteen raucous songs. While not every song is rock and roll, there are interspersions into hard rock or even metal, no more then on 8 minute track 'distance to us' with Andrew Roze's vocals coming out in style and the band producing a decent metal song in the manner of early guns and roses but make no mistake these boys are as original as DNA.

4/5

Feedback Fanzine
Review by Kev Rowland

This isn’t the sort of music that I expect to hear from Psychophonic, as it isn’t nearly as extreme as one normally gets from this label. Instead we have four lads from the Lake District kicking up a storm who have obviously been listening to their Guns ‘n’ Roses then mixing it with a healthy dose of early Tygers Of Pan Tang with just enough sleaze to set it all off. The result is a debut album that is fairly kicking along even if there isn’t anything dramatically new on here. It isn’t hard to imagine this coming out 25 years ago at the heart of NWOBHM, but that isn’t meant in any detrimental way as this is powerful and rocking. I bet they frighten the sheep up on the fells with this, and all the time creating quite a force that could well find themselves becoming a power to be reckoned with. If this transfers to the live environment as well as it does here in the studio then this going to be a fun band to see live. According to the press release they will soon be coming to a flea pit near you, and if that is the case then have the Frontline at the ready as this is a band worth catching up with.

Bubblegum Slut
Review by James Wright

Formally a painfully young rock'n'roll outfit called the Darkheart Boys with unrealised potential, Falling Red seem to have finally nailed a mature sound. Whereas, Darkheart Boys looked more to the commercial leanings of AC/DC and Skid Row, Falling Red have opted for the harsher sounds of The Stooges, Black Flag and Brides of Destruction. This is definitely a very good thing, there are way too many acts dancing around the UK offering an "update" on AC/DC riffs or citing Motley Crue as an inspiration from the moment of their conception - in reality this harder punk edge is what is really making the real gig going crowd sit up and take notice, not the acts in KERRAP! with a Guns'n'Roses fixation. Its not all great of course, (as with any truly great band there are elements which need to be dropped - LA Guns and Ballad of Jayne?), Problem You has a chorus which sounds way too Sex Pistols for true comfort before lazily fading out on the solo. Forget this momentary tranistion though, because there are some great rock'n'roll offerings here from a young band who have finally begun to discover what they want to do - ie. play fast and dirty in an original style ... all the best to them ...