3 Headed Monster

Varan! The Unbelievable! And with that old school movie trailer, we set out on an instrumental progressive/power outing through the lands of Godzilla flicks and WWF. The band that I can liken them to the most is Powerglove, a Massachusetts outfit that plays progressive/power/speed metal covers of video game music. I say this because from a purely musical standpoint, they share a very similar guitar tone and drum sound. While I may actually prefer Powerglove when it comes to sheer stupid, head banging fun, 3 Headed Monster gets the upper hand from a critic's viewpoint because they write 100% original songs.

But is this album perfect? Not quite. It is indeed a fucking blast, and that is what metal is really all about... the attitude. Sure, I love thought provoking heavy metal (I'm a huge Nevermore and Symphony X fan), but sometimes you just want to kick back and reminisce about zombie movies of yore. This album is entirely instrumental, so you won't get any overt references to cunt ripping, baby eating, or party hopping, but the aura that this bands emanates is completely immense, and will surely suck you in.

What takes the album down? Lack of variety and inability to maintain the listener's interest. The variety comment is arguable, and the interest comment is purely subjective, so this may come off as perfect for some, and the absolute nadir of songwriting for others. For me, I'm happily in between. Perfect Plex takes a bit too long to really get going, so it kind of reminds me of Five Magics from Rust in Peace, except the Megadeth song explodes into a speed/thrash metal fury once it picks up, 3 Headed Monster's song on the other hand does not. It picks up alright, but it never releases all of the potential it has. The Beast of Odo Island also seems to be technical for the sake of it. I mean there are acoustic interludes for no reason other than to show people that they can play acoustic as well. It fits I guess, but that particular song shows me that they are not expert songwriters. They are undeniably expert players, every single track shows that they are all exceptional at their respective instruments. Ultimate Rage, Engines of AKI, and Ides of March go on too long for their own good, and seem to, again, merely be attempts at proving they can write long, "epic" songs. I have to give Ultimate Rage props though, for it actually restrains itself from melting into pure fretboard masturbation (although it gets close)... it actually keeps a steady sense of melody without ever becoming boring or obnoxious.

Highlights for me are the opener Varan and Bloodbath II, because those are the only two that really get to the point, shred your face off, and then leave before you get sick of them. See, one can only listen to fretboard acrobatics so long before you understand that the player is really good, but they can't write songs specifically well. I don't know what it is about this album... but it is really bittersweet, a double edged sword so to speak. It is great the first spin, but wears off after only a couple more.

So in conclusion, it's a decent album to borrow or download once, but I wouldn't spend my money on it if I wasn't absolutely sure I loved the style first. Definitely a "try before you buy", check their Myspace, download a track or two, something along those lines before you shell out money for it.

Weaned on a stimulating diet of pro-wrestling in all its gory glory and monster films, 3HM have, on debut, presented the world with a massive splash of cold water in the face. Instrumental bands seem to be a burgeoning craze worldwide; after listening to this masterpiece their peers may well shiver at
the height at which the bar is set here.

The eight tracks include several nods to their sources of inspiration: four to wrestling (Perfect-Plex, Ultimate Rage, Bloodbath II and Ides of March) and two to movie beasts (Varan, The Beast of Odo Island), not that the music helps one to differentiate in any way.

It would be unfair - and exhausting - to analyse the album track by track.
Suffice it to say that each represents a well-thought out whole capable of,
and doubtless deliberately intended to, evoke particular images in the mind of the listener with just the occasional brief, strategically-placed sound track clip providing fleeting pointers to the audience.

Paul Muise on bass and drummer Andy Korajczyk (AK45) both support the twin lead guitars and, when the mood demands, lead them into new rhythms. Indeed, one might argue that the most notable feature of the album as a whole is the seamless transition from gentle quasi-acoustic passages to dazzling solos and on to still greater things. In this respect they lay the foundation for some spectacular fireworks from the two Chrises.

The booklet faithfully records which solo is performed by which Chris and when, but this is frankly quite irrelevant: they are both extraordinarily skilled in their craft. If you are looking for a twiddle-fest, don't bother with 3HM. Granted, they are both razor-sharp and often blindingly fast, but they deliver in such a way that all the listener can do is shake his head at the sheer brilliance of each and every break.

Of course, there are also periods when the guitars skilfully interweave like a clever tag-team, helping each other showcase their particular strengths, such as in Perfect-Plex.

Gymnasts will tell you how important the dismount is in their routines. In a genre where many seem unsure how to conclude a piece 3HM only play to
a fade-out once, yet another feather in their communal cap.

Dutch label Melissa Records might have pondered long and hard whether they would be taking a risk with an instrumental outfit - the other bands in their modest stable are all power metal groups. They haven't; these guys,
now truly a three-headed monster with the departure of Chris Cecchini, are
the beast, not its tail !