Spring Break
MADE OF METAL: Finn-thrashers Amoral hit the gas
by Daniel D. Snyder
Associate Editor
Arts | 11/20/07
Posted online at 9:36 PM EST on 11/19/07
/ Last updated at 7:57 PM EST on 11/19/07
The new long-player from Finnish Death-Thrash group Amoral (that's Death Metal played at Thrash tempos, for the uninitiated), Reptile Ride, has some dangerously high expectations to live up to. I caught wind of Amoral a few years ago when they hit the road with one of my all-time favorites, Amon Amarth. Picking up their then-well-received album Decrowning, I was intrigued by their blend of brutal, technical Death-Thrash and melodic hooks. However, the album had one flaw: The first track, "Showdown," gut-punched the rest of the songs-hard. So impressed was I that the rest of the album could do little to hold my attention, and it soon fell out of rotation entirely. I hadn't heard so much as a peep from the Amoral camp until this summer, when a new song, "Mute," popped up on their Web site. Long story short: I became heavily addicted to its righteous rocking opening riffs and sublime solos.
Now, with most labels looking for the next Metalcore or Post-rock heavyweight, Reptile Ride has been criminally ignored, making it very difficult to track down on these shores. It's been a long, grim wait for my German import copy (It's November, people), but now I sit with an uncontrollable nosebleed, a case of whiplash and an enormous grin on my face. However, this Ride comes at a price.
I have to admit, I was disappointed at first. Picking "Leave Your Dead Behind" to open the album was a poor choice. Standard syncopated riffs and some bland vocals had me worried that "Mute" would be this album's "Showdown." Yet track two, "Nervasion," picks up the ball and streaks down the field for a touchdown. With a soaring, almost heart-lifting rhythm and melody and catchy solos, "Nervasion" puts on display all that is good and Metallic about Amoral's new, slightly more rock-based approach. The track also boasts the band's new affinity for skillful stop-start rhythm riff interludes, for which guitarists Ben Varon and Silver Ots should both receive Grammys.
In fact, it's worth mentioning at this point that Varon and Ots practically make this record shine on their own. Their soloing is highly skilled, showcasing a painfully addictive blend of rock 'n' roll wail and Death Metal shred. Listen to the three-minute mark of "Mute" if you don't believe me.
Now, with most labels looking for the next Metalcore or Post-rock heavyweight, Reptile Ride has been criminally ignored, making it very difficult to track down on these shores. It's been a long, grim wait for my German import copy (It's November, people), but now I sit with an uncontrollable nosebleed, a case of whiplash and an enormous grin on my face. However, this Ride comes at a price.
I have to admit, I was disappointed at first. Picking "Leave Your Dead Behind" to open the album was a poor choice. Standard syncopated riffs and some bland vocals had me worried that "Mute" would be this album's "Showdown." Yet track two, "Nervasion," picks up the ball and streaks down the field for a touchdown. With a soaring, almost heart-lifting rhythm and melody and catchy solos, "Nervasion" puts on display all that is good and Metallic about Amoral's new, slightly more rock-based approach. The track also boasts the band's new affinity for skillful stop-start rhythm riff interludes, for which guitarists Ben Varon and Silver Ots should both receive Grammys.
In fact, it's worth mentioning at this point that Varon and Ots practically make this record shine on their own. Their soloing is highly skilled, showcasing a painfully addictive blend of rock 'n' roll wail and Death Metal shred. Listen to the three-minute mark of "Mute" if you don't believe me.
Be the first to comment on this story