My only familiarity with Germany’s Maroon is seeing numerous metalcore progenies adorning their merchandise at gigs. Though ever curious of investigating the band I never actually got round to it, so imagine my surprise at finding that they’ve been around for nearly a decade and released five albums including the new one “Order”. It was also tempting to be very wicked and download a couple of older albums just see how they have evolved culminating in the release of the new album, but I have not and have gone into this album with no blinkers or previous judgements.
The sombre build up on “Morin Heights” serves as the touch paper for “Erode” which has basic thrash elements but is bolstered by a fat production rendering the metal dense but highly tuneful to boot. Modernistic tendencies in metal often veer the sound into clinical territory but here the music is afforded a resonating and pulsating vibe throughout. The lead work on “Erode” is sublimely worked around the frenzied thrash. The band never seems content on staying within the framework of modern thrash and utilise a variety of contexts such as a semi-blasted death metal tinge in “Stay Brutal”. The bass kick work is as dense as you’d expect and the metalcore styled breakdown fits well as the high speed solo zooms by. Again the rich production emphasises no particular aspect of the playing as a Swedish metal harmonic is injected very subtly into the guitar work.
“A New Order” has that familiar breakdown riff and an upbeat catchy pace that is perfect for the pit with its chunky riff and solidified beat and here, yet again, the lead is engaging without being pretentious. The shouted snarled vocals are always a good bet in this style though I still find the clean variety tough to get into. “Bleak” catches you out somewhat with a short acoustic start which is nudged aside by a more experimental side to the band, that fits with Opeth or The Ocean for example. The use of keys adds obvious emotion and atmosphere to the already powerful guitar hooks and is really quite poignant. The huge rasping thrash riff is pure vintage Metallica as the leads tumble over you in waves, right before the sudden drop in pace back to an acoustic base and dense atmospherics that push the track into goth territory in a very loose sense.
“The Ship Is Sinking” is far more typical of the death/metalcore styles with a brutish riff and a hefty double bass kick just to make sure you’re listening fully. The excellent “Leave You Scarred & Broken” merges with a previous interlude and is rife with Arch Enemy licks and Maidenesque melody. The Swedish tinge I hinted at earlier makes a reappearance giving the track plenty of heavy duty rhythm right down to a Sabbath drenched mid section.
Any band worth its salt in today’s fickle metal scene has to employ plenty of variation and Maroon are overloaded with invention and creativity such as the blasting black fury of “Children Of The Next level” or the schizophrenia of styles utilised on “Bombs Over Ignorance” that ranges from death metal and thrash metal to speed metal I kid you not. The closing track “Schatten” (Shadows) uses acoustics again and is the longest song on offer and builds sublimely to the inevitable ferocious riff that explodes in. Again the death metal traits are out in force capturing brutality and finesse in equal measures but balanced with tantalising harmonies and a cracking guitar tone. Never content on using one riff or solo when three or more would be far better, the lead at the end of the track captures everything an 80s solo would, being passionate, long and highly diverse as it fades gently to a kettle drum beat.
A super mixture of metal delivered with consummate aggression, accomplished musical diversity and skilful song writing.
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