Where does the time go? One minute you are saving your pocket money for that first Kiss/Metallica/Korn/Trivium album (delete as age appropriate) and the next you are grumbling about how you don’t get the music of today, kids are so much more insolent than back when and how the weather man is nearly always wrong! There are some albums that really make you realise just how ephemeral time is, and this is one of them. I don’t just mean because of the clock theme that is incorporated within the Salvador Daliesque cover either, although it does seem rather fitting in a way that I’m sure is unintentional.
As I listen to these five tracks, the word that keeps ricocheting around my head is modern, although it suddenly dawns on me how much the metal mainstream has moved on over the past decade. This takes me back to circa 2003/04 when I would hear the likes of 36 Crazy Fists and InMe played on a Friday night at the local rock/metal night and think to myself “Well come on, it’s not really metal, is it?”
Nevertheless, I gradually built up a certain modicum of tolerance for that particular sound over time, and while I can now see what the appeal is, it seems that the world has moved on. What was current four years ago is now shown on the music channels as retro classics and oldies, and while to me this sounds modern, to the average hipster skipping around to Aiden tunes and applying eyeliner while listening to Bullet For My Valentine, I’m well aware that this will probably sound “like, so yesterday, man.”
It seems that the majority of sub genres that have a snifter of mainstream success inevitably handle the aging process about as well as a drug & drink addicted rock star groupie. The majority of fans move on, leave trends like nu-metal behind them in a hope that no-one ever brings up the subject again through sheer embarrassment and adopt other musical interests; move on to heavier things or grow out of it altogether. All that is left is a big white elephant of a record collection collecting dust. That said, there is undoubtedly a group of people out there who “like what they like” and care not a shred if it’s in vogue; people who have stuck loyally with these bands since the start…and that’s the kind of person who will really dig this E.P. And if that sounds like you, then I seriously urge you to check this record out.
There’s a nice lively spring in the step of ‘Call It A Day’ with its bouncy melodies which never lose momentum even through the mellowed out passage. The layered vocal harmonies intertwine clean Dave McPherson-esque lines with aggressive screams that take over and, every now and again, lead the way. Still, I find that the hardcore vocals are kept at a level which is non-obtrusive and the melodic vocals take precedence for the majority of these five tracks. ‘Hit Infliction’ carries a drum and bass vibe that really works well with the vigorous, upbeat pace and the heavy, chugging guitars. There is a bit of a Skindred vibe to this track, and the cosmic sampling on ‘Withered’ adds a nice slice of atmosphere into the fold.
‘Answers’ takes us out, and into a hidden track which gradually and languidly unwinds. The decent production certainly compliments the music well and overall this is a band well worth investigating if you have an open mind.
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