Hey, this is a band that I haven't paid much attention to. The biggest metal
band in Hungary, I reckon, and since I saw them a With Full Force in 2005, a
band I always considered very little else than a Soulfly clone band. Since I've
never been a big fan of Soulfly, I honestly disregarded these Hungarians right
there.
I thought 'what the heck' when the email came round with the usual list of
albums for review and none of my PoM colleagues volunteered, 'why not give it a
shot and hear what Ektomorf has become?'
On the positive side, the Hungarian crew fronted by singer/guitarist Zoli don't
just sound like Soulfly anymore. They cannot run away from the influence, and
this is clear even on this acoustic album which apparently is the continuation
of a popular single from their previous album, 'Redemption'.
(Semi-)acoustic metal has been seen before in the history of music, and it can
turn out heavy as hell. It does for the most part on 'The Acoustic'. Opener I
Know Them is a great track, whereas I'm in Hate is less fortunate. Be Free is
also alright, whereas Redemption has turned out a trifle repetitive.
The Lynyrd Skynyrd cover Simple Man is a nice ditty where Zoli shows that he can
more than just scream. To Smoulder continues in the same style, but fails to
really ignite.
Covering the grand master of dark music, Johnny Cash, can be a bit tricky, but
with Folsom Prison Blues, Ektomorf by a reasonable enough job without blowing
away the man himself.
Again also fails to hit the grade and reminds me to a scaring degree of Poison's
Every Rose Has It's Thorn. That's not really a compliment.
Through Your Eyes is much more alive and playful, and is among the best tunes of
the album, whereas Fate falls into a style of ballads that weren't uncommon
among US hardrock bands during the early nineties.
Stigmatized shows a lot more balls and plays itself into the top five of good
songs from the album, as does closing track Who Can I Trust.
Conclusion: An approved attempt to create a different album from Ektomorf, but
the quality level is not consistent throughout.
