2006-02-16
I have to say I'm impressed, Sweden's Crang have taken a tried and tested formula of combining Metalcore with some melodic elements and were still able to produce an album that sound interesting and unique.
To put a label on their music would be to categorize them as a metalcore band, but they have plenty of other genres thrown in the mix as well, track 3, "Ego Uprising", also has what seems to be a black metal riff; the first track, "The Gift', has some short bursts of blastbeat drumming, the drumming here sometimes resembles fusion, the vocals are hardcore, as I said, this album has plenty of layers.
I am quite certain that Meshuggah fans will find a lot to enjoyment with this, it does have the trademark complexity and aggression that earlier
Meshuggah releases have, yet there is a sense of melody that bands like
Burst manage to insert into their music without sounding contrived or simplistic.
The sound is very well done as well, crisp and thick, it has the Meshuggah vibe pegged, some of the riffing on the album may throw off some people into thinking this is a melodic death metal album, but the vocals, the over whole complexity of it, and the lyrical ideas and image are straight out of core music.
I'll summarize by saying that this is a very well put album, it has a lot of maturity and excellent technical ability, it demands some patience and it is not easily digested, but after a few listening sessions, it quality becomes clear.
Alon Miasnikov
