The Kandidate are from Denmark and are fronted by ex-Hatesphere vocalist Jacob Bredahl, whose trademark was always masses of enthusiasm and energy. It is clear that he has brought these qualities to his new band.
Aggressive Thrash is the order of the day from the first track “Strength through Diversity”, and it never eases up from there. There’s a wall of sound but at the same time, the riffs fall between melodic and chaotic. There’s even a feel of early Soilwork about it, and as you’d expect. more than a hint of historic Hatesphere. “Give Up All Hope” in particular took me back to that time. The urgent screams match the pace and power, not forgetting the unremitting chaos and anger. “Shut ‘Em Up” continues the rage mixed with an identifiable riff, but introduces a Hardcore chorus. It’s off to the races again on “Distress and Decay”, which adds a Punk style to the Thrash-Hardcore. It’s not subtle but it’s musically accomplished. The ear-bashing is not unpleasant. It’s easy to feel part of this thrashing noise and violence. “….We Conform to the Unrighteous” adopts a more atmospheric tone, starting slowly but descending into the familiar chaos. A big scream to begin “Live a Lie” puts us back on track again and we’re thrashing away. The rhythm is punkish but it’s more sophisticated. Bredahl is in our face just as I remember him at live shows. It’s strong stuff. There’s a nice little break towards the end.
This album gets stronger as it progresses. “The Kill” has a thunderous rhythm, and Bredahl is hyper now. “Kill, Kill, Kill” is the battle cry as the band races off in unison like a high speed train. The riffs are super and quite apart from its energy, this is a most interesting track. The juggernaut then comes through the front of the house on “Enemy”. There is a heightened sense of angst, interrupted by a short and sweet break. This one isn’t about subtlety but rather it’s pure noisy, rumbustuous Thrash. There is a neat guitar solo, but it’s not out of keeping with the overall atmosphere. There’s a good deal of variety on this track but urgency remains. Finally, “Yours Truly” gives us more pumping percussion, ranting from Bredahl and killer guitar work. The pace is once again breathless. This is Scandinavian Melodic Thrash. It’s perfect for headbanging. It rocks, it’s exciting and has a good balance between melody and aggression.
“Until We are Outnumbered” is on the surface pretty basic, but it has great fighting spirit and big pluses in its melodic and hooky riffs and unabated energy. This album is an enjoyable breath of fresh air.
http://www.myspace.com/thekandidate
http://www.napalmrecords.com
