Written By Kevin McSweeney
The Sandcastles EP is the first major release from Keighley alternative metal crew Fail The Enemy since they reformed in 2024, having disbanded in 2019.
A sandcastle is a structure that can be destroyed by the tide, but also rebuilt every time it’s swept away. This is perhaps an acknowledgement of their resilience. Since 2024, according to the press release: “…the three-piece have been rebuilding their sound from the ground up, fusing modern metalcore, anthemic rock, and 80s-inspired synth textures.”
Those synth textures are very much in evidence on this release, and that’s perhaps inevitable, given that they cite Depeche Mode as one of their main influences.
However, there’s another 1980s synth band from the UK whose influence can be heard on this EP to an even greater extent., but more on that later. Let’s go through Sandcastlestrack-by-track before the tide comes in, because the water is bloody cold in the UK at this time of year.
Fail The Enemy Sandcastles EP Review: Track-by-Track Breakdown
GONEFOREVER
The opening track commences with the kind of minor key ivory tinkling and sombre vocal delivery that brings to mind Evanescence in their pomp, or Linkin Park at their least acerbic.
They double down on this when the beat and staccato riff kick in. It builds to a big, melodic chorus that would do either of the aforementioned artists proud, though I wonder if Nathan Lawton’s understated baritone voice is the best vehicle for it.
He’s a good singer, but it’s perhaps one that would be better suited to someone with Chester Bennington’s range. The lower range doesn’t quite cover the scope of the chorus.
It’s pure nitpicking, I know, but his voice lends itself much more to the kind of stuff Ville Valo used to sing. We get a brief breakdown in a song that doesn’t really call for one, though I do like the way they juxtapose Leah Moulden’s pounding tribal drums with the delicate melody of the keys.
Paper Dreams
Gentle guitar arpeggios bring us into a heavy but melodic four-chord opening riff with staccato guitars and drums in perfect lockstep.
The verse, with its dreamy guitar meanderings and clicky programmed drums, is a much better vehicle for Lawton’s deep, rich vocals, as are the dark melodies of the chorus. There’s something of Silent Alarm-era Bloc Party about it.
It’s all very mid-2000s angsty, angular alt-rock, and to be fair, Lawton isn’t a million miles from Kele Okereke in terms of vocal style.
I’m sure my aged and abused ears can detect a female vocal in the mix, which I take to be Moulden’s. The juxtaposition of light and dark vocal styles works well, especially when backed by the stirring synths. I don’t know if it was released as a single. It probably should have been.
NEON
I miss the days when the bulk of my diet was neon. I ate a lot of Angel Delight as a kid. Speaking of angelic things, we have celestial synths in the intro, with Lawton singing in hushed tones over a syncopated programmed beat.
It’s perhaps here more than anywhere that we hear the influence of Depeche Mode on their sound.
When Elliot Green’s almost gothic-sounding lead arrives, it gives the whole thing a similar sound to that of Paradise Lost in the late 1990s, when they abandoned doom metal in favour of a dark synth rock sound on the One Second album, which was also heavily influenced by the Essex icons. The gothic-tinged synth sound is one that suits them well.
Drowning Deep
Fail The Enemy Sandcastles EP Review, Drowning Deep emerges as one of the release’s most intriguing examples of the band’s willingness to experiment beyond conventional alternative metal.
I can only describe the intro to this song as sounding like a metal version of A Flock of Seagulls. There’s something about that opening synth riff that reminds me of something like Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You).
It doesn’t sound exactly like it, but it’s the closest thing I can think of, and furthermore, it’s a direction I would encourage them to embrace further.
The ethereal effect added to Lawton’s vocals certainly suits the style. I’m now wishing I could hear something like Space Age Love Song with a similarly meaty riff to the one Green adds to the chorus, working in tandem with the lead guitar of Paul Reynolds.
We go in a direction in the middle, with the combination of vocals and celestial synths, that reminds me of Madonna’s Like a Prayer.
I’m convinced for a moment that Lawton is about to tell me that life is a mystery and that we all must stand alone.
Thankfully, this doesn’t last long, and it builds to a big finish, taking us right back to the metal seagull sound. This was another track with single potential. I hope to hear more from them in this vein.
Borrowed Hope
The EP is brought to a close with the actual song that was selected as a single, and understandably so, as it has something of a power ballad feel to it, with rudimentary but anthemic lead guitar from Elliott Green and a swaying 6/8 rhythm for optimal hands-in-the-air live potential.
They seem to have moved away from the synths a small bit on this one, with more of a melodic metal approach, again with a slight gothic tinge. The keys are still in evidence, however, giving the middle section and closing stretch a sombre edge.
Ultimately though, I’d be keen for them not to run so far away from the direction of A Flock of Seagulls for their next release. That sound, with a metallic edge, is one that suits them well, and would make them stand out from their peers all the more. That would certainly be my hope anyway.
Metal Lair awards Sandcastles by Fail The Enemy 3.5 devil horns out of five.
Tracklisting:
1: GONEFOREVER
2: Paper Dreams
3: NEON
4: Drowning Deep
5: Borrowed Hope
Line-Up:
Nathan Lawton – Lead vocals
Elliot Green – Lead guitar
Leah Moulden – Drums
Fail The Enemy Online:
About The Author
Kevin McSweeney is Metal Lair’s resident scribe of the underground, eternally rummaging through the global metal scene for riffs worth your time.
As the guiding hand behind Seven Deadly Songs every Friday, he has an uncanny knack for finding the track you didn’t know you needed, usually before finishing his pint.
Equal parts loyal, kind, and quietly razor-witted, Kevin brings deep knowledge, impeccable taste, and a steady, reliable presence to Metal Lair.
Read More From This Author:
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EP Review: Beyond The New Horizon by iAtlas
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