Echoes
of Eternity would back in the days when metal was still only a teenager have
been categorized as speed metal, a genre that seems to have been absorbed by
others and
forgotten these days. This is pedal to metal and full speed ahead, going from
zero to a hundred as fast as possible; pounding double bass drums and extremely
fast guitar licks set the pace throughout the album.
A band
that keeps popping up in my head when I listen to the sophomore release from
these US speedsters is Powermad, probably best know for their small contribution
to David Lynch's "Wild at Heart" (1990) movie, simply because they were also all
about a high energy level and fast guitars and drums.
But that
is where the similarities stop, because this is faster and a lot more
ferocious! Vocalist Francine Boucher tries to give the band an edge and a
contrast to the fast paced songs, something I think she fails to do on most of
the album. But I do not put the blame on her, because she does have a good
voice, but she is simply overpowered by the pounding drums, which are too
dominant and up-front.
Speed all
the way
isn't the solution for Echoes of Eternity, and I wish they would slow
things a bit down more often than they do, instead they fill in some grindcore parts,
and the result of it is that it all quickly becomes monotone and
repetitive. Technically speaking this is close to perfect, and man they
must be drained after a show!
I am a
bit torn because I respect them for their ability to play so fast but on the
other hand I do miss some diversity. But they have kept the best for last;
'Funeral in the Sky' shows that they are fully capable of writing a diverse and
interesting song that will keep your attention all the way, this little
instrumental piece lifts this album up and makes me want to see where they are
going in the future...
