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.
Highlight
"Eidetic Memory"
Final Rating
4.0/5 or 80%.
No comments:
Post a Comment