Reviews
2008-04-05
This is the fifth release by this German band, and even though I've heard their name mentioned in the past, It wasn’t until this one that I finally had a chance to really listen to their music.
I have to day – I was pleasantly surprised. The band uses what mostly be described as Gothenburg style melodic death metal, with some clean vocals and more core-oriented groove in the vocals and rhythms. It's all tied together with a solid production, that sounds clear yet not overly flashy, with some well-used keyboards and electro-elements that give it all a contemporary edge.
The fact that these guys are veterans is quite clear, 14 years active and 5 albums, you can hear that in the song structures. They don't try and over-complicate things but rather focus on a good mixture of the heavy and the melodic. The title track which opens the album is a fine example – strong guitar riff, some added groove, mid-range death growls, and some solid clean ones, it's immediately catchy and straight-forward, and didn't feel as poppy or overly-melodic as recent work by bands such as Soilwork or In Flames.
The third track – Outside The Inside is probably my favorite here, it's very similar to a power metal songs in it's structure and melodic approach, but the groove element, combined with the aggression and death metal presentation – just makes it work out great.
The album also features some guest appearances from guys such as Dew Scented vocalist Leif Jensen and ex-Dark Fortress vocalist Azathoth who lend another facet and some interesting color to the proceedings.
I got a promo copy, but I understand the special edition of the album also includes a DVD that includes a live performance and a documentary about the making of the album.
In any case, a very worthy effort, and I'll be sure to listen to whatever this band does in the future.
Alon Miasnikov
