Dead End - New Deal

It took Dane groove metallers Aloop a considerable seven-year period to release their sophomore, Dead End / New Deal, and while the final result is not a radical far cry in terms of quality from their 2005 debut, Global Crisis, they definitely took a (slightly) different road. The melodic death metal elements, as well as the alternative metal ones, have been emphasized, while the groove metal is mostly relegated to third place. I’d compare this new approach more in line to what DevilDriver did circa ’05-’09, and sometimes they conjure up some Dimension Zero as well. There’s also a more prominent use of the dreaded breakdown tactic, likening this even closer to metalcore than their debut. However, there are more fast-tempo sections as well, yielding a more varied sound. I find the changes to be vaguely less compelling than their previous work, starting with…

The clear vocals reached new heights here, as Bo Larsen tried a more dramatic style. He probably did work on his technique in the in-between years, but I’m still not entirely convinced by his clear singing. It’s more a matter of aesthetic than technique for me. I would have preferred this Dane frontman to have tried a Warrel Dane impersonation (ha!) rather than a Chester Bennington one. His harsh vocals continue to be his strong trait, and this time around he mixes in some lower growls with his rasps. He also ventured into some narration, and it’s pretty solid. The guy’s clearly versatile, but his choice of clear singing doesn’t do the trick for me. The guitars also mellowed-up, they’re not as punishing as the ones heard on Global Crisis. I welcome brief use acoustics, somewhat expected on “Django”. But the melodic side of the guitar team hasn’t changed in terms of skill and originality, it just became the focal point of the compositions. The riffs continue to not impress, the usual generic post-thrash stuff. The solos are… there, enjoyable to a degree but nothing unexpectedly great.

The rhythmic section is more varied than on their debut, and now one can at least hear Thomas Carlsen in several spots, like the mid-section of “Automation”. Drummer Thais Beermann is capable and hits you with a varied arsenal; d-beats, short bursts of rapid double bass, thrashy patterns, blastbeats… This, however, doesn’t save the album from being merely entertaining but ultimately far from being mandatory listen. I have a hard time finding favorite tracks here, as most of them have some solid sections mixed with others that struggle to capture my attention. Perhaps the three-punch combo of “Chemical Kiss”, “Django” and “Sudden Death” is the best of the album. The instrumental last minute of “Point of No Return” is also somewhat fulfilling, reminding me that my favorite piece from their previous album was the instrumental closer, “Hell on Earth”. Speaking of which, now Aloop provided a second part, divided in two parts, (“Hell on Earth 2, Part 2" sounds kinda lame) more in title than actual musical resemblance, as it is now a power ballad-type of composition.

How one ranks Aloop’s two LPs depends entirely upon genre predilection. Those more interested in the groove metal traits would orbit towards the debut, while those preferring the Gothenburg sound should prefer this one. Personally, genre preference notwithstanding, neither album remains among my usual choices for a metal fix, but that’s doesn’t mean I don’t extract some enjoyment out of them. I’d give the debut a slight edge in preference, even though I like melodic death metal much more than groove metal. In any case, they seem to possess enough musical chops to succeed, but their songwriting skills are still pedestrian. Should they release a third LP, I’d hope for better compositions, whatever metal genre they chose. We’ll see if these Danes continue to release material in the coming years.