Super
groups, something we all look forward to when they emerge but at the same time
dread because it has happened so often that what could have been something
spectacular turns out to be just a blob in the ocean of mediocrity. Lock Up is
indeed a super group boasting Tomas Lindbjerg (At the Gates,) Shane Embury
(Napalm Death,) Nicholas Barker (ex-Cradle of Filth, ex-Dimmu Borgir) and Anton
Reisenegger (Pentagram), but this time around I had no fear of mediocrity since
I had already heard the band before and thus I knew that Lock Up was capable of
delivering the goods. And I was not disappointed!
Nothing
fancy here, just an old school mixture of grindcore and death metal. Not a bad
thing when executed in such a professional manner as it is done here.
Professional execution yes, but not cold or uninspired. This is groovy stuff and
the joy of playing is evident. The music is filled with energy and the short
tracks ensures that the individual track never looses momentum. The album as a
whole is as varied as I think it is possible for the genre and thus keeps being
interesting for all of the just over 40 minutes. So if you feel like banging
your head to some no nonsense music go get the new Lock Up album!
