Obsidian

It seems no matter much we crave it, we can never acquire musical satisfaction. We've moaned and moaned ever since Nirvana slothfully strummed their way through "Bleach", and now, at possibly metal's greatest rejuvenation, we complain that what we're hearing isn't real metal. Well maybe not. But by hell it shouldn't stop us enjoying something as bone crushing as Slowmotion Apocalypse's sophomore crack at visceral, modern heavy metal.

Initially fresh and energetically charged, the second outing from this incensed Italian mob does pall in comparison to some of the acts they emulate, but in truth, "Obsidian" is as good a representation as any before it. Chopping their influences like meat cleavers, Slowmotion Apocalypse sound like a rabid dog gnawing through its owner's leg; thriving in the agony it's creating, and the disease it's spreading. Where most of the material would slot perfectly into place on the last Unearth album, there is a stunning amount of variation, predominately on the stand out tracks such as "Back from the Grave" and rupturing opener "More Horror Is To Come". Standing comfortably between the thrash and metalcore scenes, "Obsidian" is surprisingly aggressive for an Italian release, leaving very little room for melody of any kind, except for the brief slashes of melodic death metal ala Dark Tranquility and Nightrage. In pace and structure, the songs themselves owe a lot to The Haunted, whilst vocally the album is dominated by skin blasting screams and bellows of the extreme variety; quite menacing in their delivery - particularly on the Killswitch Engage-like "This Is For The Sake of Hedonism".

High in the production states, "Obsidian" has a rich, thick sound, making the guitars sound meatier than a bowl of stake, and with quite an impressive, neck-breaking cover of Maiden's "Be Quick or Be Dead" closing the album, this is without a doubt a must have for fans of The Haunted, Lamb of God and Shadows Fall. Now go, boy! Go Fetch! Argghh, why are you biting me?!

Originally written for www.metalcrypt.com