Review: Fading Signal - Long ago and far away (EP)

Label: Safe Inside Records

Oh yeah, this is it. FADING SIGNAL are one of, if not the most thrilling band of a new and very powerful Hardcore movement. The Youth is angry once again and they found a fitting way to channel all their rage. The 5-piece out of North Carolina formed in 2019, put together a demo in 2020 and released their debut EP "Nothing feels good anymore" in January of 2021, after undergoing some line-up-changes.

Their second EP "Long ago and far away" is out for two weeks now and it is just as exciting as "Nothing feels good anymore". To me, FADING SIGNAL sound like PAINT IT BLACK and AMERICAN NIGHTMARE merged into one. This is fast, this is frenetic, it's relentless, it's aggressive, it rocks like hell, it has those metallic chugs, it has awesome singalongs, gang shouts, intense vocal delivery, and an unearthly urgency in every note that's being played. Just the right soundtrack for jumping around my flat like a maniac!

What sucks is that the EP is over all too quick, though it's a minute longer than their first EP, clocking in at 7 minutes runtime. However, I don't think that they should change anything about their songwriting, cause they already proved how to write captivating HC-sprints who barely last a minute. With "Wasting Words", the opener of "Long ago and far away", they discover new territories, as this song is their longest cut yet. If you take that sample at the beginning into account, the song lasts exactly 3 minutes. Still it works in their favor and is a nice progression from their beginnings, with some near-midtempo and a glimpse of epic-ness thrown in. "Internalized" and "Palm Reader" are more in the fashion of the first EP and shine as bright as the opener. "My Rules", a stellar cover of VOID, closes out the new record. The overall feeling is not too far away from "Nothing feels good anymore", but FADING SIGNAL still evolved in some areas. The new EP is more diverse, it's more artistic, it offers varying moods opposed to the sheer wrath that was delivered before. Production-wise the first EP was already flawless, "Long ago and far away" is even more polished and defined. 

What I really loved about "Nothing feels good anymore" were the desperate and radical lyrics. The lyrics of the three new songs don't stray away too much from that, still they are more complex and written in a more subtle kind of way. It's excellent stuff, no doubt, though it's not as stressing, memorable and easy to sing along to as the words from previous songs.

In the end, FADING SIGNAL continue to be an exceptional Hardcore-band with their Safe Inside-debut. With those three songs they walk the middle way of staying true to their sound and attitude, while realizing some clever progressions. I'm already looking forward to new songs, keeping both EPs on heavy rotation until then...

Rating: 9 out of 10

Fading Signal on Bandcamp
Fading Signal on Instagram
Stream on Safe Inside's Bandcamp