Born to Be Great

Although this outfit belong to the large group of technical/progressive metal acts (Valkyria, Aspid, End Zone, Crownear, mid-90’s Legion, K.G.B., Trizna, etc.) from their homeland of the early/mid-90’s, they don’t adhere to the very complex ways of execution so much. Their delivery back then was more on the orthodox side with the casual more stylish, more technical quirk, but did have a character of its own largely due to the guiding vociferous bass bottom, a not very common phenomenon at the time.

The debut featured intense semi-technical thrash for more than half the time, but both more laid-back atmospheric and more brutal deathy gimmicks were also provided to make it a more diverse listen. The album reviewed here elaborates on the more aggressive death metal-fixated side of those gimmicks going one step further than the messy variations on the death/thrash hybrid exercised by their compatriots Korrozia Metala and D.I.V. The title-track makes this more aggressive statement loud and clear, the several more melodic excursions and the more technical walkabouts not helping much to disperse the brutal march. “Happy Childhood” tries to justify its happy, child-like title with a less intense power/thrashy approach, a probable leftover from the debut, but one can only soften that much with these brutal shouty death metal vocals around, and with “Pilot’s Ruin” which is blitzkrieg in-your-face thrash/death, not much sophistication here.

More surprises installed later, though, with “Suicide Song”, a prime doom metal hymn that would make luminaries like Solitude Aeturnus and Saint Vitus quite proud, but watch out for “At the House of Sorrow”, a nice more technical proposition, a really stylish shredder with more linear skirmishes also embedded alongside great melodic leads. “March of the Mutants” incorporates a more sterile, drier guitar sound without changing the fast-paced formula too much, a possible nod to early Meshuggah also including a couple of really impressive impetuous gallops. Said sterile aura is still around for “Victory of Shame” which tries to bring more variety by also introducing mellower semi-balladic sections into the rigorous thrash/deathy frame, the alternation between the two sides somewhat jarring and nervy, and overall not very successfully performed.

The bass player doesn’t play such a prominent role this time although his presence is very well registered, and generally the execution has this kind of rushed, impatient feel as though the guys didn’t have the requisite time to complete the recordings. Certainly, this can be a mere speculation, but both the riff-applications and the melodic pirouettes come in a quick frantic succession, sometimes merging together the amalgam having a slight unfinished aura. Still, as an advocate of the old school in the midst of the groovy/aggro/industrial campaign this capable entry shouldn’t be frowned upon as it by all means contains moments for the retro metal fanbase to enjoy.

Those same fans shouldn’t be bothered with the band’s next instalments, though, as ever since the guys came back at the beginning of the new millennium after a lengthy hiatus, they haven’t been able to reproduce their classic thrash/death exploits. In fact, death metal is a distant memory on their newer works, and although thrash is still present here and there, it’s served in a much more modern 90’s form, starkly contrasting at times with the band’s more recently acquired softer progressive metal ways of expression. It’s not exactly a koma.. sorry, comatose state, this current one I mean, but it would definitely benefit from a couple of more energizing, old school deathy thrashisms.