The Fallen State + Liberty Lies @ o2 Institute, 10th March 2017

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Being a well known act in the Midlands; Liberty Lies, support for The Fallen State tonight,  took to the stage with cheers from the crowd. The energetic hard rock band gave it their all, with Bassist Adam ‘Wolfie’ Howell and Guitarist Liam Billings head-banging like crazy whenever possible.

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Their style reminded me of Black Stone Cherry mixed with Alter Bridge; a nice mix of classic and modern; something for everyone in a room with dads and also teenagers. Songs like ‘Someone Else’, from their 2013 record ‘Reflections’, had a nice sing-a-long vibe with a powerful chorus to draw in the crowd, while their 2016 single ‘Are You Listening?’ featured more complex tempo changes and even some welcomed screaming from vocalist Shaun.

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The Fallen State took little time in setting up. I briefly met the band earlier in the year when they played in Wolverhampton, all very friendly guys. They rose to prominence by supporting Black Stone Cherry, Puddle of Mudd and Halestorm.

Jon Price and Dan Oke were on fine form supplying the technical solos and modern riffs, with Ben giving a confident vocal performance. Stand-out songs I enjoyed from their late February release The View from Ruin were ‘Nova’, ‘The Quickening’ and ‘Four Letter Word’.

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The band is has already proven itself capable of getting a crowd going and it was very evident this evening; Ben had the arms of the crowd up at every opportunity. Stage presence also impressed me; all members of the band enjoy what they do and wore smiles on their faces to prove it.

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Also very reminiscent of Myles Kennedy’s band Alter Bridge, they blend classic styles, mainly through Ben’s soulful singing (which reminded me of Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell at times), with modern riffs and fast tempo drumming. Songs like ‘Sinner’ can be compared to Nirvana and even Foo Fighters with almost talked verses followed by loud; striking hooks and choruses.

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The Fallen State continue their headline tour across the country and if they continue playing with such soul, energy and passion then great things lie ahead.

 

Review and photographs Neale Hayes

 

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