Slamming Zone

The idea of merging the slam approach of brutal death metal with industrial elements seems such a fitting one that it's a wonder that more projects haven't taken it up. But given that Russia and much of the former Eastern Block nations have been immersed in the former style for over a decade now, it makes all the sense in the world that one of their sons would take on the task of bringing an atmospheric sense of minimalism in a complementary fashion to the already minimalist yet wholly impact-obsessed grooving section of sheer sonic brutality. Though the amount of content that has been unleashed under the moniker of Slam Master has been relatively sparse, the man behind this masterplan of sorts delivers the goods with the politically-charged, 18 minute conceptual EP Slamming Zone.

The mechanics behind this ode to dissidents flying the flags of discontent in the former Soviet Union are fairly straightforward, culminating in what can be best described as an extended, near-19 minute song cut into 7 chapters of varying scope. Indeed, the resulting nature of this hybrid of repetition-based styles is best described as being mechanistic, drawing from the cybernetic synthesizer sounds that one often encounters in the more technically spectacular works of Fear Factory, but distilled down into something that can work with the rhythmically precise and stripped down riffing style that goes with a style that almost functions as a singular, extended breakdown. This isn't to say that there aren't occasional frenetic moments, but generally the overall tempo and flow of things is highly restrained and geared for maximal heaviness.

From start to finish, this short opus reads like a dystopian novel set to music, presented in the most unsubtle of fashions. The grand overture that kicks things off "...Obey" could almost be likened to a military march meets national anthem, yet contorted into a dissonant form that is more comparable to a horror movie theme. The subsequent 2 minute slam session "The Propaganda" essentially functions as a further extension of the preceding prelude, with down-tuned chugging guitars and a blast-happy drum machine pummeling away while a lone voice rants and raves in a quasi-hardcore meets death bark fashion off in the distance. It isn't until the trudging trot of "Traitor's Choice" that things get a little more mixed up, but regardless to whether the subsequent song is a longer slough like "Emperor" or "Slamming Zone", or slower mechanized fists to the gut like "Chainsaw" or "Death", the blend of styles remains constant and precise in its presentation to a fault.

Though a solid work with some obvious points of innovation, the final tally on this force-based EP is that of a good idea left underdeveloped. There are plenty of captivating moments on here both during the punchier segments and the synth-heavy intros and interludes, but as an overall listen, it comes away feeling a bit static and safe. To be fair, the image of a hopeless situation within the confines of a tyrannical regime's influence doesn't lend itself to a great degree of dynamic differentiation, but apart from the extremely synth-heavy title anthem, the musical ideas are a tad compartmentalized and don't intermingle to the extent they should, betraying some of the limitations that often come along within the slam format. It's a good album overall and comes recommended to fans of Fear Factory and Devourment alike, but the novel niche that it exists within could use some time to further ripen and mature.