Чужая война

This is the new S.C.A.L.P. album, and boy have they changed since back in the day. Well, I didn’t know of them back then, but since I got the re-release of their debut at the same time as this album I would be a complete moron if I didn’t hear a change of style. While the old material wasn’t really my cup of tea I still felt it was good stuff, but this is even further off my radar and I’m confident I won’t listen to the album again. Not saying it’s all-out horrible, it’s just not for me.

They’ve gone all-out melodic, completely melodic, and with a semi-industrial edge at times. I felt their old stuff was somewhat in the vein of older Tiamat, and to tell you the truth there’s something about "Chuzhaya voina" that reminds me of said band’s later efforts. You know, when Tiamat suddenly became lame and left their death metal roots behind, the same way I feel about S.C.A.L.P.. I don’t get this laidback metal that feels almost like rock at times, just heavier. With a track like "Teni (tvoi mir...)" I’m guessing they’re going for a saddened and melancholic atmosphere, but it backfires horribly. Maybe it’s because the lyrics are in their native tongue this time, but it just sounds awful when the vocalist tries to sound emotional, he doesn’t have the voice for it. But I guess it’s a different vocalist from the "Through eternity" album, ‘cause it's not as strong and powerful throughout the remainder of the album either. He goes for the same kind of raspy, yet clean, vocals, but I’m not convinced.

I have no idea what to think of this; there’s nothing wrong with their musicianship, but I don’t like it. A couple of times I even feel it reminds me of Clawfinger, minus the rap vocals and way heavier, or like a heavier Rammstein with a gothic touch. It’s mid-paced to slow music, all the way through, and it lacks any real punch. They go through heavier and more aggressive bits, like "Solnce mertvih", but it still sounds like bad heavy metal in my ears. They also go all-out melodic with tracks like "Kto", which sounds almost power metal bad. So it’s easy to say this is not my cup of tea. I don’t see any appeal in this type of music; the melodic leads are too melodic, the music in general is too mellow and the vocals aren’t very powerful. But I guess it’s all done with a sense of industrialism and progression, and that’s just not my bag (at least not like this).

Originally written for http://www.mylastchapter.net