By John Bedard
This album delivers on exactly what I wanted. There is an old school flair while still being modern and having their own sound. There are elements that hearken back to old school heavy metal while still having that death metal root. It is definitely death metal first and foremost. The heavy metal elements are more in how the tracks progress rather than tone. There is a nice rhythm that is set giving and interesting vibe to each track. This makes for a sound that nicely fits in the background when you are listening while working. It makes the album very approachable without feeling bland as can often happen.
The vocals are clearer than we commonly have in the genre. There is a good rasp to the tone but you can clearly make out what is being said allowing for a deeper investment than some other bands. This goes back to what I was saying about it being more approachable than others in the genre. Even if you are not a fan of the style you won’t feel left out because you don’t get it. The same is true with the instrumentation. We have a bit slower pacing and arrangements that hearken back to old school metal but just turned up a bit making the style something you will be able to recognize even if you don’t normally follow this genre.
I think this one is worth your time for sure. It is hard to find anything to dislike here. Sure it is not breaking massive new ground, rather, it is delivering on a great experience that I think many people will enjoy. I also think this is a nice transitional album between styles that could even convert new fans. Go pick this one up. You won’t regret it.
- ‘Phantom Bell’ is released next Friday (17 April). You can get your copy HERE.
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