At the tail end of 2015, Norway’s Critical
Solution put out their second studio album, “Sleepwalker”. To the surprise of
nobody, this album has been released by Punishment 18 Records, the most
thrash-populous label in existence. If your generic signs are going off
already, the good news is that Critical Solution isn’t quite as predicable as
you might have expected. Sure, there is the ominous, voice-over intro to kick
things off, but once the thrashing starts, the band differentiates themselves a
little bit. In general, Critical Solution is more in line with Metallica and
Testament than they are Exodus, Slayer, or Kreator. This means their songs
feature more extensive use of melody, and this is extremely evident in the
chorus of the title track. “Sleepwalker” slows down for a monstrously huge
chorus, showing off Christer Slettebø’s vocal range. As you may have guessed,
he can actually sing, and aligns more with Hetfield than Baloff.
The significant use of melody extends beyond
the vocals. In between classic rhythm-heavy guitar riffs, there are plenty of
leads, furious solos, and even riffs that incorporate some higher notes on the
fretboard. This is particularly evident on the extremely ambitious “Dear
Mother”, an 11-minute monster of a song that takes the listener through a
variety of moods and sounds, including utilizing the always-popular Maiden-esque
harmonies. Another track that is similarly melodic is “Blood Stained Hands”.
Again, the Metallica influence is undeniable, and even though the singer's tone is
slightly different, one can’t help but draw comparisons to Hetfield’s delivery
on more vocally demanding tracks like “The Day That Never Comes” or “One”. This
particular track shows Critical Solution doing an excellent job of switching
between clean guitar/vocal sections and much heavier, more standard mid-paced
thrash. Another song, “Lt. Elliot”, tries something similar – except it’s just
vocals and drums – and it is admittedly not as effective.
Of course, Critical Solution also isn’t
afraid to go the other direction either. Incorporating blast beats, crazy heavy
chugging, and just a ton of brutality is “Welcome To Your Nightmare”.
Unfortunately this song shows the band at their most derivative: the main riff
is a rip-off of Testament’s “Into The Pit”, while the verse riff/vocal line
matches up quite well to a song from Exumer’s “Fire and Damnation” (it might
even be the title track, though it’s been a while since I’ve listened to that
record). While one can’t deny this song as being quite killer, it would be
easier to appreciate if the similarities weren’t so blatant.
Though “Sleepwalker” does fairly draw a lot
of comparisons to giants like Metallica and Testament, the band does have
enough of their own personal identity to make this record worth hearing. In an
age where thrash bands tend to copy Exodus more than any other group, it is
refreshing to hear a younger band add some melody and flavour to their
approach. Occasionally it gets a little too close for comfort to the classics,
but those moments are few and far between.
Highlights
"Sleepwalker"
"Dear Mother"
Final Rating
3.75/5 or 75%.
No comments:
Post a Comment