It's my age I know but some bands seem to sound worn out straight from the off because their sound is a bit thin, a bit ephemeral. Others, thankfully like One Man Army and the Undead Quartet here, seem to be still brand new despite having by now a healthy back catalogue. First album shiny still four albums on. After a three year gap since 2008's 'Grim Tales' this muscular beast still tear around like happy little undead puppies eager to be out there kicking up shit. Bless.
For those few who don't know the band and just chanced upon this review due to the great name, well yeah they are every bit as confident, brash, thunderous and violent as the name sounds. Formed by vocalist Johan Lindstrand when The Crown shuddered to a halt, they are Death Thrash kings in fact.
The Dark Epic introduces itself by barrelling its way through the walls from the outset with the venemous 'Stitch'. It's a nasty sharp guitar riff blasted forward by an absolute avalanche of drums from Marek Dobrowolski. The snarled vocals of Lindstrand punch in with the impression of some demon bunched up like an oversized fist with barely contained fury. The ponderous breakdown with the repetition of 'stitch,stitch' bringing a wonderul, sinister tone to an already pounding track.
By comparison 'The Zombie Syndrome' following is perhaps a little standard but it still pounds loose enough bones to keep you going until 'Inside The Head Of God' shakes its way out. This one is a bitter piece of creation; full of obsessive compulsive dominance and intolerance thrashing in an ugly mind. Dark and monomaniacal, beating down opposing thought through violence it is excellent stuff.
'Sandman Apocalypse' is a little stutter in proceedings: a good four minute thrash hammered out a little thin to nearly eight. Still not awful but the attention wanders a touch and it takes a while for the album to pull you back into the flow whereas 'Skeletons Of Rose Hall' is another terrific whirlpool of shaodws. A deep, dark beating on a voodoo riff fat with Axelsson's bass with Lindstrand's voice sounding like a cavern collapsing.
'The Dark Epic' itself announces its arrival with a bit of acoustic picking, the kind of predictable arrangement that does grate if i'm honest, but it is short lived, and the slow riff drags you towards the bleak liche gate. Predominantly an instrumental save for a few hoarse words of venom it succeeds where Sandman Apocalypse falls short: fluid and changing construction over the trademark jagged, drum driven guitar sound from Bolander and Blom that has such a strong flow it doesn't allow for any senile wandering of my mind.
Closing with the gleefully evil 'How I Love To Kill You' the army depart, earth bloodstained and salted and the crows calling behind them.
Criticisms? Well perhaps the guitar solos can sound a touch flat production wise here and there - too much tech and not enough dirt or maybe just not blended into the whole thunderstorm well enough. But overall this album rattles and thunders along with barely a pause. As ever, One Man Army remain unapologetically melodic but in a gruff feral way rather than teflon coated studio slick. They have those death metal stylings fixed up with a spine of great thrash which isn't going to change the world but, with a glint in its eye and something unpleasant stuck between it's undead teeth, its still a fine blast to the old cobwebs.
http://www.myspace.com/onemanarmyandtheundeadquartet
http://www.onemanarmyband.com/
