This album didn't strike me initially as something pivotal in the groove metal scene, but it kind of wore on me. I have utmost respect for the band and their music, it's just not my favorite genre. They firstly sounded a bit metalcore-ish but they're not. The music is quite good, reminds me a little of Pantera's 'Far Beyond Driven' (1994) with differing vocals. The songs are slow and catchy and the vocals are decent. It's female vox on this one and she does quite a good job in that department. This album also reminds me a little bit of djent style riff-writing, but not quite there. Not to be confused with Meshuggah-esque type of guitar playing.

I dug most of this release minus the fact that they're a little atypical for my taste. The guitars (aside from djent) were pretty catchy and noteworthy. I didn't have much of a negative thing to say about them. They're just weird, I suppose. I like the clean vocals when they exhibited them though both formats they were good! The production quality was also good. This band is just an acquired taste. I only took off points when I felt that the music seemed to get way "out there". But for the most part, I enjoyed this. These guys make quality groove metal. Some songs remind me (again) of Pantera's song 'Shedding Skin'.

Why am I giving this a "B" then if I'm speaking so highly of their performance? I'm not liking the music as much as I should I suppose. There aren't many leads and the music could've been a little better. The rhythms seem to go on for an eternity nothing really happens and then BOOM! I think though the vocals went in tandem with the music. That's the good part of the album. They really did a good job with keeping it groovy and shouting vocals in agreement with the songs. I would definitely refer listeners to hearing this if they're open minded about different genres of metal.

Overall, I like this band. I'm not sure how much of them are coming out with more new releases in the future but I sure hope so! They are a talented band and I'm sure it took a while to formulate music for this release. And make it into their own despite the similarities to Pantera or not. The vocals are outstanding and the music is better than average. I think that if they can bump it up in the music department then I would've given this a better rating. All in all, it was a good purchase for me and my collection. I'm looking forward to many a more albums in the future by them to own! Take a listen!

Rating: 8½ (out of 10) ratings explained

Reviewed by Death8699
03/01/2022 20:45