Artist: Sacred Mother Tongue
Title: The Ruin of Man
Type: Album
Label: Transcend Records
Transcend records have been putting out top quality albums from talented UK artists of late, The More I See and Untamed spring to mind, this labels ingenious discoveries are building bridges between being underground and breaking into wider metal audiences. Sacred Mother Tongue is a hot band at the moment, their single having made number one in the HMV downloads chart at the tail end of last year proved that they have a solid fan base out there already. Plenty of high profile tour slots are stacking up for these Rushden chaps, and the future indeed looks bright, and deservedly so.
Upon first listen, their take on metal verging on metalcore was something that I thought would be horrid. However, the sheer quality of the music and arrangements just belts out of the stereo with complete disregard for age and longevity. These guys could have been doing this for years; instead it’s their debut album. Vocals from Darren South range from angst hardcore to soulful metal harmonies, the delivery just seems to work. Frantic double kick drums and booming bass lines are plentiful, ‘The Suffering’ proves to be an absolute storming classic slab of metal, an epic chorus (“Kill the Messiah”) is mesmerising and the chugging guitars with syncopated rhythms slam you to the back of the room. Yes there are comparisons to ‘Killswitch Engage’ and ‘God Forbid’, but I mean that in a good way, SMT are top class and on par with the best in the industry. Guitar riffs and solos rake in the full scales available to the musician in Andy James, you cant help taking comparisons of his style to that of Gizz Butt (The More I See, Wardance, English Dogs), to me he is certainly an influence on this bands guitar player. Epic arrangements like ‘Wake Up Call’ and ‘Numb’ cannot help but make you listen more intently to this album. I could rattle on for hours just saying the same thing; it’s a great album pure and simple.
Take time out to check out their website and catch them on tour at the “Hellfire” and “Hammerfest” shows, I for one hope that this album treads the boards of a live setting with the same togetherness that the album oozes. If this is their debut album, then roll on album number two and beyond. I suspect these chaps are on the brink of glad tidings ahead, and they thoroughly deserve such an accolade. The album reeks with class and brutality, and is one album that I will remember for a long time.
www.myspace.com/sacredmothertongue
www.transcendmediagroup.com
Paul Maddison
MTUK HOME
