Here's a band that has drawn influences from a wider spectrum of metal genres and packed it all in what seems to be their finest release to date. Having proclaimed that myself, these guys are by no means strangers in the night, no, we will leave that to Ozzy and Co. for now, these lads have been in the Aussie metal scene for almost a decade releasing some wicked demos along the way (which are now classics) and more recently touring with metal’s finest with the likes of Opeth, Impaled Nazarene and Mayhem. So what does this full length release bring you? Well in a nutshell it showcases the best of Pathogen's material that had been written and refined over the previous seven years and more. We are glad to see the boys back so let’s find out what we are in for in more detail...
Obscure opening instrumental track with no real name but '...' gets us under way.
Most of the tracks here are predominantly very heavy sounding and 'Identity Theft' proves to be just that. Sure, as soon as the acoustic riffage kicked in I immediately thought In Flames pre-Clayman-era but as the song evolves it becomes MUCH more then that. The key word there is the evolve. Props go out to the vocalist Michael Lenane for having fantastic screeching voice that fits the music exceptionally. The bands writing style is excellent and ‘Beyond Repent’, track 3, is one of the highlights of the album for me both musically and lyrically. It wastes no time ripping into a fast paced metal mayhem and holds you in suspension till end.
Bleeding Eye is my favorite. Nothing overly groundbreaking but the ferocity with which the sound is crafted and executed is exceptional. Killer intro Screams, no, BLEEDS the reign of terror upon the listener. Guitar riffs from hell and spectacular drumming deliver the utmost metal experience. Slowing down a fraction, the next song 'Fallen Kind' starts off with an acoustic riff and mild drum beats before Michael Lenane (vocalist) brings the hell to your doorstep.
We are back on track with 'Shallow'. It's quite catchy with an opening riff which in fact opens the preceding. Two minutes into the song I get an impression that this particular bit sounds somewhat close to the 'Silence Calls the storm' (Quo Vadis) which I liked, I’m glad to say. Acoustic bit which is to follow later in this song is excellent. Opeth is not the only band that knows how to combine ferocity and insidiousness with more subtle acoustic notes. I love this acoustic bit and can't get enough of it. Moreover it follows straight up with a massive guitar solo with which Pathogen guys struck gold musically. A great epic!
'Eviscerated'! This is the shit! Another fast paced, brutal song. Nothing to be overly exited about, its just a solid song to head bang to. Same with the 'C.O.W' which is not too bad either, slows down a fraction from a previous song but none the less has a very catchy chugging riff for a lack of a better word.
'Nightfall' has an excellent intro (intros like these make the songs into classics). Frankly speaking, this song is one of the highlights once again. ‘Warchild’ reeks of Hypocrisy (Killing Art) as I see it and if you're a fan, then you will love this one. By no means does that mean these guys are a clone band, not at all. It just means they were influenced by one of the greatest bands that ever lived and took it upon themselves to take it to the next level. Pathogen is excellent when it comes to the complexity and the mix of music they put out is outstanding. Even here they improve the melody with the magnificent 'Barton' guitar solos.
I'll let you discover the rest of the songs as you listen to it yourself, however I will add that this album is very impressive melodeath / black metal. Traditional even. The parallels would be At The Gates meets Hypocisy with some Quo Vadis elements mixed in are evident. Heck even some In Flames / Shadows Fall can be noticed which in hand keeps the sound balanced and modern. With 13 songs (over 60 minutes), of which some are quite long clocking at over 7 minutes, I ask you, can you go wrong? Sure, a bit unoriginal at times (which band isn’t), this album will without a doubt grow on you and if you’re into more melodic direction, then hands down, this is for you! Keep in mind this is the bands first professional full length release and I can only imagine how great they will become in time if they continue writing quality material as they previously and now have. Enjoy!
Tracks:
1. ...
2 Identity Theft
3 Beyond Repent
4 Bleeding Eye
5 Fallen Kind
6 Shallow
7 Eviscerated
8 C.O.W
9 Nightfall
10 Bleed My Soul (Pt. 1)
11 Warchild
12 Tyranny Of Hatred
13 ...
