It has taken a good while, but this album has managed to grow on me since I found the CD in my mailbox some weeks ago. Norway's Escapetor have been around a few years now, and released their first, self-entitled, album in 1999. 'Fear' is their sixth full-length, so you'd reckon that there's a lot of experience hidden in this quintet. To be honest, I wasn't too impressed with the very much down-to-earth thrash metal with strong heavy metal ties that Escapetor presented to my ears.
However, I've given the CD a number of chances and let it spin in the car on my way to work, and if you're a fan of Metallica, Kreator and Annihilator, you will nod in recognition from time to time, and you'd have to acknowledge the solidity of the overall effort.
Vocalist Claudius Bormuth does have a rather special voice, admittedly, and his approach is an acquired taste - which, I suppose, is also something that can make a band that doesn't
revolutionize the genre stand out a bit from the rest.
Speaking of standing out; there is one track on that stands out, and I love it to bits: Third song, Unknown Thoughts is completely different from the rest with a bluesy rock feel fuelled with heavy guitars and Claudius' voice just works excellently with this style. Very cool. Other than that, the album is concluded with Folsom Prison Blues in a metal version, and I'm not entirely decided whether this is the dog's bollocks or
sacrilege. Have a listen and decide.
