Review by JD on January 7, 2010.

I am not too much for the style that We, The Undersigned are doing. The broad term that has become Nu-Metal is not my cup of tea, even though it is a strong movement and is gaining speed... yet I am one who loves metal in almost every form. I am willing to give every band I end up getting a fair shot. Here it goes.

Hailing from Canada, We, the Undersigned explodes out with a very noticeable difference on the newer metal coming out. It does have that unmistakable Nu-Metal feel, not to mention the Scream-o metal factor to it in some respects... but all of this pigeonholing has to stop because this band is so much more. It seems as if the band has stolen their crazy older uncle’s metal collection and has learned from it all, while still listening to what is new out there.

Technically sound yet insane riffs fire spew from the speakers like a flamethrower, while the rhythm end of things really does give the band a hell of an engine to work with. They remind me of many bands that I do not like, yet the band has something that others do not have... melodies. It seems that they have taken old metal, mixed it with the new Scream-o stuff and has really made a difference here.

I applaud the band, but I feel that the band has not fully developed what they are trying to create in the way of originality. This is a start that is impressive, but whatever... it is just good to listen to.

Categorical Rating Breakdown　

Musicianship: 7.5
Atmosphere: 7.5
Production: 8
Originality: 7.5
Overall: 7.5

Rating: 7.6 out of 10

Review by Krys on March 15, 2001.

Some people just can’t live without making music… and that’s great. One of them is Trevor Peres, member of no longer existent death metal gods Obituary. Because of his burning passion to create extreme sounds, with help of Keith DeVito, Chris Basile, Brian Hobbie and Rob Maresca, all members of the New York based metal powerhouse Pyrexia, he has developed a new band called Catastrophic.

By saying all that about the history of this band, it shouldn’t come to your surprise that "The Cleansing", their debut CD, will remind you of the great Obituary days. Big time! A few notes from the first track, "Hate Trade", will unmistakably bring you all those memories. The characteristic tone and riffs of Peres’ guitar dominate this whole album. Tracks like "Messiah Pacified", "The Veil" or "Jesters of the Millennium" could easily end up on a Obituary’s "Cause OF Death" or "The End Complete" disc.

But don’t make any assumptions yet! Catastrophic is NOT a carbon copy of Obituary. Although the guitar work is clearly modeled after the Obituary sound, very often those guys really like to crank up the tempo on their compositions. Other than the aggressive drum-molesting section, the vocals of Keith DeVito are also quite different from John Tardy’s lines. Overall, the "The Cleansing" is just a delicious piece of rotten death metal meat which I’ll recommend to any hungry metal fan.

Bottom Line: Make some free space on your shelf, you need this CD.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Review by Alex on March 22, 2020.

Released in 2019 digitally but found the affection of physical media through Narcoleptica Productions, Oblivion is the first true push from Fallen Reign to cement itself among some of the best releases in the genre of yesteryear and on-wards. Man, can this American trio write a tune! 8 songs proficiently put together featuring powerful vocals, tantalizing guitar leads and solos, compatible drumming and catchy hooks. From the very moment of 'The Difference' one could tell of the amount of effort put into making Oblivion a piece the band and supporters would be very proud of. And for a group just starting out, it's a reassuring thing to know they got off to a good beginning.

If you like the rocking sounds of the mid 80s, lots of organs and keyboards, well above average clean vocals and super-good riffs on every jam, then Oblivion welcomes you the searching prog/heavy power metal listener to a paradise, a utopia of serene musicianship. Fallen Reign is just one example of many underground metal acts with true potential to rise and carry on the tradition. And as a listener, when discovering something this sort, this good and competent it gives one a sense of elation.

Oblivion is an album you'd find hard in selecting a favorite or best track given all the songs possess some sort of magnetizing hook to attract and win-over any listener. The songwriting is near impeccable for such a new band; there's a sense of uninterrupted movement, an advancement with every moment every note delivered. Whether it be the soaring vocals and synth combination (that work with each other like bread and nut butter), the diverse and invigorating drumming or the riffs offering celebratory praises to the material ensuring that once you hit the road with Fallen Reign, there's no returning to where you once were.

Absolutely wowed at the level of songwriting on display here; it's remarkable the way Fallen Reign were able to make all elements work harmoniously on Oblivion. 'The Difference', 'It's Forever' and 'Fallen Reign' make it clear the conquering unit can play; then you get to songs like 'Kingdom of Fools', 'Miracle' and 'Oblivion' and you're stunned by the sheer brilliance of their compositions that leave a lasting mark in your consciousness through the sublime incorporation, flow and emotional fluorescence brought to the table.

Some songs are uplifting and powerful like album opener 'The Difference' but then a slight melancholic tone creeps in on 'I Know' adding a pessimistic all the while optimistic outlook. The vocals take advantage of the instrumentals while successfully managing to embody and project the tonality of the tunes. With those mechanics at work without error, the guitars and drums are given ample room to fill and add little interesting tweaks to the material such as on the final track 'Oblivion' that showcases a playfulness with double bass, riffing technicality with the insertion of middle eastern sitars and tribal drumming upping the journey-esque character of the music.

I admire the fact that the vocalist does not try to push his vocal registers too high at ascending moments, rather keeping it at a moderate pitch to synchronize with the melody of the songs. Rather than break it, thus said, none of the members try anything unnecessary keeping the music in check at all times. All this is made possible on a conducive production supporting the ambitions of Fallen Reign on Oblivion. Its clean, resonating and appears to be a thing of affection in connection with the music.

Rating: 8.7 out of 10