I must admit that reading in advance that The Sixpounder’s debut is “a mixture of rock and roll and metal” left me slightly sceptical. So after a quick steam train fix to start with under the title of “Going to Hell..” – do they commute, I wonder – it’s down to business with “Plastic Bag”. And yes, it’s a mixture of rock and roll and metal. What’s good about it is that it’s committed and accessible. To start, “Plastic Bag” combines the symphonic sound of Graveworm with the melo-death style of Pantera and Crematory, settling into the style of the latter. The melody stays and then Metalcore is where it’s at. Most importantly it’s lively and energetic.
The chorus of “Crimson Skies” brings In Flames and Soilwork to mind. It’s another strong track. In spite of all this talk of Swedish, German, US and Italian bands, The Sixpounder are from Poland. Let’s say they play in a modern international Metal style. The short “Last True Cowboy Manifesto” comes straight from the ranch and is a bit of a laugh. Then it’s back to fast, hard-hitting Metal and catchy melodies on the excellent “Creation:1”, a technically interesting track as well as a template of Modern Metal. This one’s for moving and grooving to – a great track. I can see why The Sixpounder won the Polish leg of the 2010 Wacken Metal Battle. So far it’s lively, pumping and crowd-pleasing Metal.
After “Creation:1”, the sixth track of thirteen, I thought the album lost its way a little. “Mimic” is another hybrid of styles, merging a chunky rhythm with a harder edge and a tinge of Soilwork. But like the next track, “For Those who Betrayed”, which does at least develop thundersome Metal into a rampant, exciting passage, it lacks overall direction. “The Moment” has similar schizophrenia about it. It’s Killswitch-style Hardcore but not so good, offset only by a funky section and a strong ending. It’s as if The Sixpounder were trying to prove their versatility over these last few tracks, but while doing so they seem to have lost the art of songwriting. “Stephanie” is a piece of US style Metalcore but with nothing special or memorable added. Fortunately the album ends well with a cover of Slayer’s “Bloodline”. It’s a good song and powerfully delivered. This was welcome after a bunch of nonentity tracks. “Bloodline” fits neatly into this band’s style, and is proof if needed that if a cover is done well, then it’s worth doing.
So my reaction to this album is mixed. Over most of the second half, I felt that The Sixpounder were trying too hard to be “Metal” and while the tracks were good in parts, they lacked personality and soul. Yet they do know how to get the balance of technical and melodic metal right and create attractive song structures. The first half of “Going to Hell? Permission Granted” is proof of that. Quite simply, the band needs to ditch the idea of being everything Metal, and concentrate on strong songs, of which they’re clearly capable.
http://www.thesixpounder.com
Andrew Doherty
MTUK HOME
