The Swedish band who claims it is their job to save heavy metal are attempting to do this one their 9th album. I mean 9 albums into their career if they were going to save metal it seems like they would have done so already. Most bands can find their best album somewhere in the first four. If you are going use Iron Maiden as the measuring stick, then this would be the band's "Fear of the Dark", though I think Priest's "Defenders of the Faith" is a better comparison as it's more aggressive and over produced, where Maiden were trying some new things sonically and there is not as much fucking with the formula going on here. It is up tempo thrashing with power metal like singing soaring over it. It starts strong with the opening track then becomes less consistent. While a great song title "Chimp Mosh Pit" does not connect as strongly. The regain momentum with "Valley of Disease" but the wheel is not being reinvented here, nor am I hearing anything that is going to save metal, I think they need to be more concerned with saving their career. It doesn't suck but it's pretty middle of the road.
"On the Beach" mixes nu-metal with their take on power-thrash. The vocals have more grit, before they take a wild left into a funky section. They should leave that sort of thing to bands like Faith No More, who pull it off better. Their singer has a decent voice, I think he could spend more time making more memorable melodies and not trying to be quirky, might play to the band's best interest. Their songs rarely make it past the four minute so if something does not hit as well, at least you do not have to endure it for long. "Do You Feel in Control" has Pantera like riff that works well, but not enough to carry the entire song. "Gotta Wanna Riot" feels more like a Skid Row B-side. One thing about this album is it is not as dark as some of the previous ones. Which given the direction the world is going in makes little sense.
Production wise everything sounds perfect, perhaps too much so. They get back into the funk thing on "the Dirt I'm Buried In"...I mean Miley Cyrus went harder than this on her last album. The chorus to this song is marginally hookier than the others. They attempt to get heavier on "Clouds Dipped in Chrome", which the notes and beats they are playing should add up to this being heavy, but production and vocals keeps this from being the case. "Hazmat Suit" reminds me of AC/DC. It accelerates in more of a Motorhead pace. "Train" finds a mood that is not retreading the same ground they have already covered on this album. However, the spoken vocal reminds me too much of Mike Patton. Granted Frank Zappa did that sort of thing before Patton, so this is a hand me down. System of a Down is obviously one of this band's influences. Their last chance to get heavy works for me as the close the album with one of the best songs. I will give this an 8, these guys are good at what they do even if it is not the most original thing. Metal is not going to be save by this album, but the band's fans will dig it. For me personally I have heard this done better by the original artists they draw inspiration from and it not a new enough twist on that,
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