The Thin Line Between Hope and Ruin

How can this album possible get an average of 53%?! I've enjoyed this the whole way through. There were some peaks and valleys, but I felt that musically the double genre of death/thrash is quite unique. You have low burly vocals mixed with high-end screams with music appeasing me at least for that much. This Italian based band I've discovered by chance that it was sent to me without any idea of how much I appreciated the full-length. There was one song I felt that they could've left out but other than that, a gem of a release. What caught me aside from the vocal aspect was the guitar riffs. I liked the tone the crunch aspect of it all.

I appreciated the overall essence of the album. The vibe and riffs. It was more thrash based than death, but all in all it was a great encore of metal music Italian style. These guys knew what they were doing musically though many people seemed that they were at fault and not at all on course to the making of this release. I however, felt that it a very strong release that made it's way in the genres wholeheartedly. An effort that shines bright in metal an how music like this was possible to metal it sure showed itself on here. The only beef I had was one song that I don't think was appropriate for the album. So I took points off for that.

The sound production was illustrious. The quality shared a mark in this mixing and they put all 52+ minutes into this wholesome release of death/thrash. I believe that it was an ABSOLUTELY killer release which I cannot fathom why the press failed them on here. But I'm to speak of my opinion of this album. They deserve more credit to this gettogether of genres mixed. I though it to be well dished out. The songs were solid, the riffs were SICK and the songs overall were well done nuff-said! This album I didn't think would really hit home with me, but in fact it did more than just that. It sparked more interest in Italian metal bands.

I was a lucky one to actually have this shipped to me from Finland. So, I didn't have to dish out any money for it. It is available on YouTube and Spotify I believe. I prefer the CD itself but nowadays everything's digital. Only a few collectors like me. But anyway, don't listen to the critics, listen to the vocals and the riffs. They will blow you away, YES! I enjoyed this whole release and I'm curious to hear more from the band since this one is their debut full-length. It shows that they're active, so I just wonder what's going on with them since it's almost 8 years since their debut (this one). Check them out, pretty killer material!

The debut full-length from Italian death/thrashers Ragestorm shows the effects of a band in such a situation while also offering plenty of promise for what’s to come in their career. For the most part this one carries along the type of melody-infused riff-work that seems to play through that style without any deviation. Switching between tight chugging and extra-sloppy swirling melodic runs in the guitar-work, there’s a pretty simplistic energy attributed to the tracks here that occasionally brings up some fire from time-to-time, though the majority of this one gets stuck with those chugging rhythms holding the paces down in the mid-tempo for the most part. These tend to feature so many rather bland and plodding rhythms that they’re wholly lifeless at worst, while the best effort about them is that they’re decent-if-unspectacular. This applies to an overwhelming majority of the album as well, which tends to leave this staggeringly overdone and seemingly just filler material on the whole. Even more to the point there’s a wholly unneeded and just plain needless interlude to the album which is a droning and endless industrial collage that plays over a sampled speech that’s just pointless and seemingly included for no real reason which makes this a deviation to the whole effort since this one doesn’t bring up the points in the speech overall and the whole thing is just such a painful experience. This pointlessness of this really showcases the early point of the bands’ career at the fullest and should not be continued in the future.

The first half here is decent enough if not all that impressive. Opener ‘The Meatgrinder Theory’ features a sampled chainsaw reviving intro leading into driving drumming and stellar riff-work through the steady mid-tempo series of riff-work through a fine charge as the soaring melodic leads carry through the solo section and bringing the tight chugging through the final half for a solid opening effort. ‘Debt Ritual’ brings tight, crunchy riffing and blistering drumming churning along through a frantic, mid-tempo pace with plenty of slight chugging rhythms and steady riffing carrying along through the stuttering main patterns carrying into the solo section and working through into the finale for a somewhat decent if overall unimpressive effort. The short and brutal ‘Polysilicotetrapropryvinylfluorethalene’ features immediate blasting drumming and rather frantic swirling riff-work charging along at butal, blistering charging patterns with the choppy rhythms leading to the tight, driving final half for a rather enjoyable effort for the album’s clear highlight. ‘Moloch’ features light acoustic riffing amid crackling noise before quickly turning into a simple, straightforward plodding chugging series of riff-work with plenty of pounding drumming keeping the simplistic elements firmly along through the utterly ferocious finale for an impressive finish to a bland effort previously. ‘Idiocracy’ takes churning drumming and swirling riff-work through the mid-tempo chugging paces with simplistic rhythms and frantic patterns churning along with the chugging riff-work leading along to the fiery solo section and bringing the energy back into the final half for a decent if unspectacular effort. ‘Acid Tears’ immediately blasts through frantic razor-wire riff-work with plenty of solid swirling patterns charging along through the simplistic paces charging along into the dynamic, fiery solo section and carrying the straightforward rhythms along throughout the finale for a rather enjoyable effort.

The second half isn’t that bad and manages to make for a far more impressive effort. ‘Interlude: Hari Seldon's Speech’ features a sampled speech over a droning industrial sound collage that doesn’t in the slightest bit need to be there and really just eats up time on the album overall. The title track takes militaristic pounding drumming and simple chugging rhythms that swirl around through rather tepid plodding paces with the occasional flurry of stellar melodic leads that whip along through the fiery solo section and continue swirling along through the melodic chugging patterns in the final half for a solid if generally decent effort. ‘Soldiers of a Lost War’ takes heavy melodic riffing over a gradual build-up style drumming that leads to the simplistic chugging riff-work bringing along the simplistic charging rhythms with plenty of rather dynamic, dexterous drum-work bringing along a sense of energy on through the finale for another wholly unimpressive effort. ‘New World Disorder’ uses thumping riff-work and charging drumming carrying along through the swirling frantic rhythms with plenty of melodic charging flying along through the stylized twisting rhythms that lead along through the solo section and bringing the tight chugging into the final half for a decent-enough effort overall. Lastly, album-clsoer ‘Reaching the Impossible’ takes frantic swirling riff-work and plenty of chugging patterns whipping along through the frantic up-tempo rhythms whipping along through the rather dynamic stuttering patterns holding along through the charging solo section and leading into the extended soulful piano finale for a somewhat enjoyable lasting impression.

While the band is clearly still going through the learning curve when it comes to their style and energy, there’s enough elements at play here to work with in the future that it could serve them well whenever they carry on which leaves this one still only for the most devout fans of the style as a whole at this point.

I have to say, that this album's cover artwork got me. The lyrical aspect here is that the human race is a slave race, run by a lizard race. Conspiracy theory stuff, you know? Politicians are masked or shapeshifting lizards or lizard folk's puppets, we the people are enslaved by rulers via wars and by banks via debt etc. Well, if you take a look at the sad state of world today, these conspiracy theories fit like a glove. However, the human race is probably just so greedy and stupid to cause these curses on itself. Well, of course the religions have an explanation too: this lizard race is demonic! Fuck, think how much some people have done money with these conspiracy theories... Whatever is your viewpoint, there's meaning in the lyrics.

While these topics aren't anything too new in metal music, but neither very common, Italian band Ragestorm's debut album surely also lacks of any innovativeness. They have played death/thrash metal with a heavy metalcore influence since 2004. I'm only familiar with their third 'The Passion' demo from 2009. When compared to 'The Passion', this is definitely more advanced. But when compared to their general musical style, it's nothing new, really.

Guitar work here is filled with Swedish influences. There's heavy and hammering riffage à la At The Gates and their peers, thrashing riffs in vein of Carnal Forge and who knows how many similar bands, and melodic lead guitar stuff like In Flames introduced it in 1994. Ragestorm have some good riffs, some okay riffs, but also forgettable ones. This can clearly be heard on 'Idiocracy' for example, which has a catchy melody, but otherwise it's simply bland. Then, the metalcore elements... Breakdowns, low-tuned guitars and beats typical to the genre are all rather heftily present on the album. Some streetwise attitude can also be sensed. The music happens in territories from fast to mid-paced.

The songs aren't waterproof, but leaks can be heard here and there. However, I still consider it as a no bad idea to try and build something else than any typical kind of compositions. This immediately starts with the opener 'The Meatgrinder Theory', which is a very amorphous song indeed, and totally acts like a double-edged sword here: You'll go on listening to this or then not. This aggro-metal song is followed by more Gothenburg-ish 'Debt Ritual'; now we got melodies! While 'Polysilico...' offers fastest double bass drumming on the album, 'Moloch' is a groove metal piece. And then it's back to Gothenburg... And let's throw this card to the table next: 'Interlude: Hari Seldon's Speech' is an electro/techno piece. So, the album isn't very tight nor uniform, but that's not saying it wasn't listenable, if you're up to listening to another melodic death metal/Gothenburg style album. The vocals are mainly excruciating metalcore screaming and barking growling, that often feel powerless, and sound like it was sung while having a potato in mouth. There's also lower growling. Plus that Hari Seldon speech... If you're wondering who the hell he is, he's a character in Isaac Asimov's "Foundation" book series.

The album is fully self-produced. While guitars are definitely metal and guitarists' skills are good, it's a sad thing that they are overshadowed by loud drums, that are heavily triggered. It depends on beats how badly the drums obfuscate other elements. The triggering also makes the drums sound too machiney. The bass is fat and well audible in the mix, but does not clash with the guitars. The biggest con is the metalcore style vocals, which sound like they were recorded in a small closet. In conclusion the album does partly sound good for a self-production, but it surely has its faults, and it does look nice with its professionally printed covers.

It fully depends on listener's experience with these styles, how much one can appreciate Ragestorm's material. It's all been heard before. The songwriting isn't flawless. There's no killer tunes. Generally, it's not very memorable. It has quite vicious performances from the band, but it's not very characteristic. By honing the their compositions and adding different vocals, Ragestorm might be able to take a step or two further up.

(Originally written for ArchaicMetallurgy.com)

Conjuring up a storm of rage (I just had to) with their debut full-length, the Italians Ragestorm put forth their brand of death/thrash metal for all to hear. Already having some demos and an EP under their belt it seems the band have been at their sound for a good few years now, which is surprising given the juvenile quality of the material across The Thin Line Between Hope And Ruin.

Whilst I think there might be some potential at least somewhere with Ragestorm, their vocal approach kills it. I've honestly found the album a chore to sit through. Marke's yappy delivery hurts my ears, and gives the music a distinct metalcore/post-hardcore vibe, and furthers the aforementioned juvenile quality. Just listen to the likes of "Debt Ritual" or the frankly ridiculous "Moloch" to see what I mean about the vocals.

Couple this with the elements of the band that verge on core to begin with and we're getting into extremely awry territory. The riffs for the most part are from the Slaughter Of The Soul handbook, and despite a decent, slicing guitar tone, fail to generate anything in the way of excitement on this end. It's when they decide to throw in a sodden chugging riff, or breakdown that Ragestorm really start to fall apart. It's a shame as numbers like "Acid Tears" start off fairly decent with cool enough riffs, but then the vocals proceed to defecate all over it. Oh, and what's with the electronic track "Hari Seldon's Speech"? I'm at a loss.

Admittedly the latter half of the album is decent, with the band focusing more on the songwriting, and even the vocals settling into less offensive territory, it's just a shame you have to sit through the sordid first half. Ragestorm might well appeal to you if you're into yappy, snappy, guttural vocals, or if post-Slaughter Of The Soul riffs put a smile on your face. I unfortunately can't really stomach a full listen to the album; to my ears this just isn't all that good. The band can play, particularly the guitarists, but they've got a ways to go if they want to be taken serious as a death metal band.

Originally written for http://www.metalcrypt.com