Chaos Injected

This has to be the most surprising release I've come across this year, if only because I resigned myself to the fact that Chaos Injected lapsed into oblivion due to inactivity and lineup issues. Not to mention the fact that I saw this cover art floating around online and assumed it was a different band altogether, but I should have known better after experiencing the music video for "Rapture." These Finns really try and embrace their idiosyncrasies, and enjoy screwing with listeners' heads. That said, what exactly do we have here on Chaos Injected? Without much info floating around as of right now, my instinct tells me that the band scooped up all of the finished material they could muster and called it a debut full-length. I'm already familiar with some of these songs, and thankfully some of the band's strongest work has been carried over, including "Apostate" and "False Belief." In fact it sounds like the band used the same exact recordings, only remixed them to fit the album's sonics better.

For quality modern melodeath with high-register synths and soaring leads, you really can't go wrong with Chaos Injected, and these qualities are all present here as well, save for one. Sadly, the band no longer appears to have a competent clean vocalist, taking away one of their biggest strengths. The remaining lyrics are delivered via a constipated harsh bark that is less distinctive but at the very least tolerable. The atmospheric keys dot a landscape razed by burly, dense grooves and some of the best leads this side of Skyfire. Chaos Injected have a cinematic flair at times, especially since the synths are used in a backing manner as opposed to playing leads and trade-off solos. The album is packed with a few surprise twists, but overall is a very accessible slab of modern metal that one shouldn't be embarrassed for enjoying. It lacks the technical capacity of the current Russian crop, but there is that distinct Finnish flair to the melodies; one which is very difficult to emulate.

And these characteristic opulent leads are here in spades. Showcasing reverb that essentially hangs off of them, they feature a very cavernous, droning aesthetic and fly over the remainder of the music with dexterous beauty. "Apostate" is the clearest example, and might be the most melodically appealing song I have discovered all year. Many of the remaining "new" songs feel a bit slapped together last minute in comparison, but Chaos Injected's affinity for moving, emotive notation keeps everything at the very least tolerable. "True Grit" is another standout, with poignant grand piano lines bifurcating aggressive outbursts. As far as sound quality, some of the earlier demos were better produced. The rhythm guitars sound a bit washed out and the synths are comparatively buried. The monotonous, bludgeoning vocals take center stage, against better judgement.

I'm still a bit taken aback by the sudden arrival of Chaos Injected, but the more I digest it the more clear it seems that all of this material was written over the last several years. The band simply repackaged it as a debut, which is fine since it puts most of it in one place, but the absence of "Rapture" and the clean vocals mar the experience. It's nice to see that the band is still active, at least. I eagerly await the next evolution of their sound.