Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 06/12/2007
Listening to the debut albums by Ohio's
Forever in Terror and Great Britain's
Anterior, it is obvious that
Metal Blade Records, which signed these young bands, is undergoing a renaissance. While the latter is impressive for its utter sophistication and the diversity of its attack, the latter is a monster blend of powerful musical acumen with an insane amount of energy and tight, memorable tunes. This is quite a feat considering that the members of this quintet are all 18 years old and have been together under various names and configurations since they were 15. Wearing their New Wave of American
Heavy Metal badge clearly, they also meld elements of
thrash, nu
metal, and
black metal in their sound. What is immediately distinguishable from
Restless in the Tides is their manner of writing. Everything is on 11 all the time. There are few dynamic moments when lyricism and delicate melody get a place (though they do appear unexpectedly at times -- and the surprises when they do are a plus). It's all bone-crunching tempo from drummer and band founder
Nick Borukhovsky, and with the production by
Don Debiase, everything here is in your face. Louder than God, these ten songs go by in a furious blur, while displaying an intense sophistication and proficiency for stop-and-start-on-a-dime twists and turns that go beyond the usual ranting verse-chorus-verse. There are bridges and middle eights in these cuts;
"In the Face of the Faceless" and the
power metal attack of
"Shameless Crucifixion" -- the set's longest track -- are great examples. It's obvious that, despite the powerful twin guitars, it's
Borukhovsky's blastbeat triple-time drumming -- with explosive double bass drum salvos adorning nearly everything on the set -- that propels this band's attack. Check
"I'm Not Afraid of Tomorrow," with guitars that are giant-size modern-day replicas of those that appear on classic
Judas Priest material; it's those shattering drums that propel the rhythm guitars to act in concert and the bassline to pop in counterpoint.
Restless in the Tides is a very impressive offering, one that will turn heads and, without doubt, gain the band a wider following among the punters.
~Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
;)
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