Panem et Circenses

When the 80s wrapped up, a huge era of pure speed metal came to an end. Bands like Helloween, Scanner and Helstar either changed their styles or dove into obscurity. There were a few bands who tried to keep this distinct sound alive as the 90s came in. Embargo tried their best to do this as well. Did they succeed? Let's take a look (or a listen) at their debut Pauem et Circenses.

What would you expect in a speed metal album in the vein of the bands mentioned in the first paragraph? Fast chugging and catchy riffs, soaring vocals and powerful drumming. On the bright side this album provides tons of infectious riffs. Great use of power chords with a little bit improvised arpeggiation which is not unfamiliar to this kind of music is present. Impressive guitar melodies and leads are scattered throughout. The solos are catchy, melodic, fast and really fun to sit through. The use of pinch harmonics and guitar slides is very well done.

The drums are very straightforward. Use of simplistic and minimal beats with some cool fills is rather common. The bassist provides some cool bouncy basslines but most of the time, just sticks to the drums and bass.The vocalist doesn't have the strong, soaring voice you'd want in this kind of music. His voice is kind of weak and puny and his range is non existent. He also uses a dual effect which really doesn't make his voice much better. Still, he manages to pull off some cool catchy vocal lines. The song structures are predictable for the most part. However there are times when the guitarist might pull off a lead in the middle of a verse, a random bass line might come up during a guitar solo, the drummer might change up the beats a bit and other small things like that which keep the songs from getting monotonous. The production is not perfect, but it's decent. Everything is fairly clear, except the bass perhaps.

That's it. There isn't too much more to say about the album. The band knows what they're doing and are definitely quite focused. The album's very catchy and quite enjoyable. Unfortunately, it still feels a bit second rate compared to the bands of old who did the same. I can't really point at what exactly is missing. Maybe it's the passion and the drive the earlier bands of this style showcased so well.