Well SOAR are off to a flying start this year with no less than four new releases being thrust upon us, all are available on ITunes straight away and follow on proper disc in February. I must admit the thought of handling a metalcore troupe from Essex would normally have me in a state of fear but as things were getting off to a slow start with material filtering in I took the plunge and cautiously pressed play. The result was unexpected relief as Eradication instantly put me on the spot, gave me a damn good kicking and delivered chops, licks galore and one hell of a weighty mindset for the duration of this impressive album.
Apparently their debut EP which proceeded this in 2009 had a lot of people foaming at the mouth in expectation and as dynamic intro paves the way for a rabid and delirious riff heavy monster of a track ‘Fascination in Torture,’ I can quite understand why. The twin guitar work is forged from Swedish steel and the drums gallop along hell for leather. Vocals go from high yaps to low barks and are all the more impressive as according to the info I have are delivered by the one singer Aston Reynolds. This is pumped up and really in your face stuff and it doesn’t stand still for a second. You wonder if the band can keep up the aggression of the first proper number but as we leap straight into ‘Outlive Me’ it’s obvious they can and that they are not afraid to break into a harmonious solo into the bombast either. Tracks like ‘Dream Of Reality’ simply rage and are impossible not to have you getting fired up and I bet their delivery in a pit causes maximum carnage. There are occasional fragmentary interludes such as an atmospheric meandering guitar passage on ‘Never Breathe Life’ which allow you to errr take a breath and also really get beneath the bones of the track and make the hefty vocal bellow all the more impressive.
This is a genre that I will not hold back on ploughing into as being stale and lacking innovation, however occasionally an album gives me a damn good slapping and makes me eat my words and that is exactly what Eradication have done. With this and 6 Reasons To Kill and my firm favourites Deadlock going on my review pile perhaps there is a ‘core’ hope for the future. Brootal tuneage innit, these Essex boys sure done good.
http://www.myspace.com/eradication
http://www.siegeofamida.net
