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Thursday, 27 September 2007 |
Metal, as with most other things in life, doesn't reward effort fairly. Having gone to the trouble of producing an album concept that falls somewhere between gang-fight hardcore and a particularly esoteric eastern religion, Dutch five-piece Magnacult is clearly taking the time to make something more worthwhile than the majority of assembly line metal today.
It's somewhat of a disappointment, then, when you first listen to the CD and realise that the band play the kind of Death Metalcore that seems to be the in thing at the moment. Magnacult does it extremely well, though, giving Suffocation a run for their money on opening track alone, and utilising high quality riffs throughout. There's also a decent mix of styles, from the ominous “Kill Ignorant Humanity” to the progressive melodies of “Krisâ” and the Meshuggah-inspired riffing on “Inside Will Guide”. The band are clearly skilled musicians from the blink-and-you'll-miss them instrumental flourishes that show up every so often, and the odd moment when they transcend the genre completely, such as the chaotic layered outro of “Identity 676”.
The album is a grower, most definitely, but it's not clear whether the band will be able to stick out enough in its crowded market to really matter. If you're not burnt out with this style yet, it is a more than good listen and worth seeking out. Ultimately, this is aimed at a specific audience, despite the little touches here and there that betray the band as being capable of more, and that audience will be more than satisfied with “Synore”. The rest of us will have to wait for album number two in order to see if the promise is fulfilled.
Zadok Day Rated 76* (Recommended)
http://www.blastwave.co.uk
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