Photo Credit: Brian Ziff
The Warning had already been rising for quite a while before releasing 2023’s Keep Me Fed, but three years later they’ve only gone higher. They’ve toured with artists like Yungblud, played landmark gigs including a filmed show in Mexico City, and now they’re releasing their fifth record: Everything’s Falling.
The name sort of gives it away, but this album marks a real departure from Keep Me Fed, both sonically and thematically, in what’s certainly the three sisters’ most personal release yet. Ritual opens the 12-song collection in just the way we’ve come to expect from the trio: heavy riffs, catchy melodies and a fiery attitude. Then, Perfect Daughter comes along and flips the mood from a high-octane headbanger to an emotionally charged, angsty track powered by Alejandra Villarreal’s rumbling bass playing.
Title track Everything’s Falling also continues in this moody fashion, opening with guitar chords that recall Soundgarden before the chorus kicks in at full force. In that same vein, Break is the closest thing to a ballad on this album – luckily, says this writer, it never quite becomes one. Strummed acoustics quickly make way for distorted guitars in the chorus and a wonderfully grungy solo, while Daniela Villarreal quite literally sings her heart out: “I don’t know how much more I can take, so hurry up and break”.
That’s not to say that the record is overly dark and broody. Bite My Tongue starts off with a springy riff before moving into familiar heavy territory, while Dany highlights her vocal range in Why Do You Like It When I Cry?, a track laden with modulated guitar riffs and even some screams from drummer Paulina Villarreal.
Speaking of Pau, her drumming takes centre stage in Bruises, where she backs up the filthy riffs in the breakdown with a Latin beat that evokes the reggaeton dembow or Brazilian baião. There’s even some tasty cowbell in the vicious yet groovy Kill or Be Killed. Meanwhile, the album’s sole track in Spanish, Ego, is where Paulina truly shines as a vocalist, especially as she screams “No me digas ‘no’” (“Don’t tell me no”).
Ale’s bass playing shines brightest on tracks like Bloodsport or Waste Your Time on Me, where it carries as much weight as the guitars. The former sees the girls call out “3, 2, 1, knockout!” before the rumble of the bass leads into a bridge section built for all three sisters’ vocals to harmonise live. The latter is a frantic track that, coupled with its electronic sampling and bass-and-kick-drum sections, harks back to early 2000s tracks you’d hear from Linkin Park.
All of this is perfectly bookended by Kerosene, a stomper of a track that’s already been kicking ass in concerts throughout the year and demonstrates exactly why The Warning are here to stay. It’s fun, it’s catchy and showcases the band firing on all cylinders. Plus, it ensures the album doesn’t end on a ballad, unlike some others (ahem, Muse) – we love to see it (or this writer does, at least)!
So, as a TL;DR, Everything’s Falling is a superb entry in The Warning’s discography and a more than worthy follow-up to 2023’s already great Keep Me Fed. While some more sections sung by Paulina would’ve been a welcome treat, the record nonetheless highlights the band at its peak, both sonically and in terms of songcraft. ¡Buen trabajo, chicas! Now, bring on the tour – we need to hear these new riffs and choruses, like, ASAP.
10/10
Standout Tracks: Ritual, Why Do You Like It When I Cry, Bite My Tongue, Ego, Bloodsport, Bruises, Kerosene
For Fans Of: Halestorm, Dead Sara, The Pretty Reckless, Muse, Metallica
Written by: Florin Petrut
