Power of Metal.dk Review

Vortech
Devoid of Life
Rating
Style: Industrial Death Metal / Cyber Metal
Release date: 7 April, 2012
Playing time: 37:56
 

Vortech merged into existence in January 2000 and is now holding 4 full-length albums up-to-date. The band has had many changes in their line-up and this time Devoid of Life features their newest member and vocalist, Mikko Nikula. Coincidentally, I have been listening to their latest release a couple of months after its announcement (as a free download online) in April 2012 . So I've got a clear glimpse at their music prior to being summoned in to review it. Initially, their style was decided to be more towards heavy metal with some added electronic elements, but founding member Juha Untinen transformed this chain and have now subscribed to Industrial Death Metal to key out this 2012 opus.

While listening to the whole album it becomes rather obvious that the band is highly influenced by Fear Factory, The Amenta and Sonic Mayhem. In some intervals between the verses, one can even compare them with other Finnish acts such as Scorngrain and Shade Empire. Although, the Industrial moments don't always remain and take part on the album (it does not flow consistently) and Frozen Machine is an ample example of this - it's a very black metal piece with fragments of thrashy bits in all places.

I might also add that it's quite hard to believe there is a human behind the drums. It has numerous fast fills on the double bass with a great deal of blast beats performed by the cyberwarmachine, Ville Miinala. It's almost hard to take a breather and might even render the listener mentally exhausted when listening closely to a fine example of his precise drumming skills in Demon In The Circuitry.

In the end, I mostly have good things to say about this album. The tracks I have found myself repeatedly listening to are Unveiling the Future and Demon In the Circuitry. Vortech has found a recipe for disaster; it is heavy, fast and fucking brutal.


Tracklist

1. The Black Rite (04:06) 
2. Neurovirus (03:22) 
3. Shattered Cities (03:56) 
4. Demon In the Circuitry (04:06) 
5. Frozen Machine (04:00) 
6. Lost (03:57) 
7. Unveiling the Future (03:36) 
8. The Apocalypse (05:09) 
9. Grains of Reality (05:44) 

Label: Independent
Distribution: Vortech
Artwork rating: 73/100
Reviewed by: Haydee G.
Date: 6 January, 2013
Website: www.facebook.com/vortechmetal