Fury

Doomed to Fail are a pretty youngish band hailing from Graz/Austria and “Fury” might be what can probably be called their official debut. I am not sure if this record really deserves to be called a “full length album” as we are talking about only six songs and a running time of slightly above thirty minutes. Half of the tracks have already been used on their first EP and while I don’t know this one and therefore cannot tell if those have been re-recorded for it might be more fitting to talk about an extended EP. However, what really counts is the quality of the music and I am glad to say that this is where the critic ends.

The riffing is fast and offers enough heaviness and crunch to satisfy all those melodic death metal fans who are often complaining about this kind of music having become too soft and theatrical over the course of the years. Doomed to Fail perfectly understand these concerns and are firing one straight rocking chord after the other at the listener. They cleverly reuse patterns known from previous songs slightly varied in later passages lending the album a very stringent feel. The lead guitar work is especially impressive perfectly harmonizing with the aggressive yet uplifting sound of the rhythm guitar.

Of course this record would not be classified as melodic death metal without using elements like uplifting arrangements and catchy harmonies. While each of the songs presents great hooks and choruses that are easy on the ear Doomed to Fail know how to combine those trademarks with just enough variation and complexity so that the music always feels compelling and never too simple or boring. Like one would expect from such a band the guys have put a lot of emphasis into building a great atmosphere by weaving all these melodic elements into their soundscape. The interaction of these pieces with the dynamic drumming and the heavy riffs is something that should be enjoyed by any fan of metal music.

The growling is more than solid bringing another layer to the overall sound. The lyrics can be perfectly understood and while the tone of the vocals is quite deep there is a certain vibe to them making the character of the music even more uplifting. It is great to see a band offering this particular style of the genre without coming across as too cheesy but sticking to the roots of death metal while enhancing their music in clever ways.

The production is pretty much flawless. The mix is clear with the guitar tone being crunchy offering just enough rawness and the drums sounding punchy and powerful. Fortunately everything has been perfectly balanced so nothing got lost in the mix. The end result is especially impressive given the fact that we are talking about a self-released album here.

Overall Doomed to Fail have set an exclamation mark with “Fury” highlighting their ambitions of climbing their way to the top. It is obvious that these guys have enough talent so it will be interesting to see where they go next.