’Flight of a Moth’ is one album title I just don’t get. But never mind that, the debut album from French outfit Sideblast is in many ways a killer for those who, like myself, like death metal in the slightly experimenting vein.

I keep thinking of Morbid Angel’s ‘Domination’ when I listen to this album – the gritty sound, the monster-heavy drive – and yet, the four Frenchmen manage to create a unique output that is very much their own.

Part of the uniqueness of ‘Flight of a Moth’ is Sideblast’s clever use of samples and crazy gimmicks. There are bits and pieces from (French) films and of course (?) Johnny Weissmuller’s best Tarzan yell… To me it just shows how used we’ve gotten to English soundbites: when you finally have something in a different language, it sounds exotic and new.

The whole thing is garnished with tons of breaks, blast beats and weird futuristic sounds. It’s not necessarily the tightest effort around, but it has that dark, cool ‘thing’ that goes straight in anyway. Just listen to Sideblast’s very alternative take on Sepultura’s classic Arise. It is NOT just a copy! Say no more.

Give it a go – I daresay that any thrash or death metal will feel entertained!