Shortly after the
release of their debut EP last year, Souldrinker parted ways with male growler
Alex Gindu. Enter “Semper Fidelis II” which showcases the band’s revamped sound
through 3 re-recorded songs and 2 new ones. Apart from the absence of Alex’s
voice the style is similar to before - certainly a tad more melodic but still
dominated by huge riffs that would fit in well with the music of Pantera or Lamb
Of God.
New song ‘Damn
the Machine’ is heavy and exciting with catchy melodies. ‘Hope Is Gone’ is the
other new one: following an intro driven by bass player Chris Rodens the song
bursts into something decidedly more furious. Somehow I felt that the riffs and
drums of the updated ‘Sixteen Men Of Tain’ were on two different paths but ‘Burn
The Pact’ sounds as great as ever and both the groove and melody of ‘To All That
Is Lost’ sound stronger this time.
Lead vocalist
Iris Boanta once again proves pivotal to the distinctive sound of Souldrinker.
Although the music is riff-based, Markus Pohl occasionally shows flashes of
brilliance with regards to guitar solos and it would perhaps be interesting if
in future he’d show less restraint when tapping into his soloing skills. All in
all, however, this EP is definitely a step in the right direction and
Souldrinker’s songwriting skills seem to be getting even better.
“Semper Fidelis
II” possesses an excellent balance of power, melody and aggression and in a
nutshell this is what Souldrinker is all about. So, especially if you had missed
the first “Semper Fidelis”, don’t let this one pass you by.
Click the link
below to see a promo-clip of ‘Damn the Machine’:
