Friday, November 24, 2017

Centripetal Force – Eidetic

Despite thrash metal’s nearly 35-year existence, it still remains one subgenre of metal with a relatively limited scope. There are tons of original bands in the style, but most of the newer ones tend to avoid the more experimental and exploratory sounds. In particular, the technical brand of power/thrash pioneered by gods like Toxik, Watchtower, Realm, and others has been largely ignored. Fortunately, international group Centripetal Force seeks to bring back this sound with their debut EP “Eidetic”.

Truthfully, this release is all over the place. It spends much of its time thrashing with appropriate force, but features a wild, wailing singer who is not afraid to go after notes that make little sense. Toxik is the best point of comparison because both bands feature singers that are effective due to their sheer absurdity. They almost sound like cartoon characters at times. Musically, there is a similar lack of focus. “Centripetal Force” in particular goes all over the place, jumping between strange interludes, more traditional thrashy riffing, and then uber-technical moments. And though it all feels disjointed, it works so well because it is original. Admittedly, this isn’t music you’re likely to latch onto the first time you hear it, but there is a certain understated brilliance to the band’s sound. 

Eidetic” is far too ambitious for its own good. Centripetal Force does have a lot of potential however. They would benefit from simplifying their song structures considerably. Keeping the technical element, but discarding the “randomness” of it, seems like a surefire way to create a more coherent, upper-tier thrash release. As it stands, “Eidetic” is nonetheless very impressive. Put it this way: if you listened to 100 songs from various modern thrash bands, Centripetal Force is unquestionably the one that will stand out the most! For better or worse, that’s a great quality to have in a crowded field.

Be sure to check out and like Centripetal Force on Facebook!

Highlight
"Eidetic Memory"

Final Rating
4.0/5 or 80%. 

No comments:

Post a Comment