MELDRUM is a new powerful band on Frontiers Records. Guitarist Michelle Meldrum has played with the likes of STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, WARGOD and PHANTOM BLUE and singer Moa Holmsten has toured and recorded with MOTORHEAD. Adding Frida Stahl to the line-up sees a new female-fronted Metal act taking shape.
The drum stool is occupied by none other than Gene Hoglan (DEATH, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD).
They derive from the sound/style pioneered by BLACK LABEL SOCIETY and perhaps a bit HOLE in the sound of theirs as well. Nonetheless it’s all about balls here – The ever-crunching guitars are upfront along with the harsh vocals. It all seems to culminate when, on track 6 they invite Lemmy Kilmister into the studio! Overall the music is hard and relentless but on a few tracks they turn a little more melodic, so what we have here is basically a combination of hard-hitting modern Metal and melodic modern Rock.
To be honest this sound is nothing for me! I think they undermine the importance of harmonic movements in their compositions. I’m not saying this should be the new way of playing this kind of music, but it would, arguably, create a bit more flow on this otherwise excellent power surge of an album!
