Nesseria: "Fractures"

"Fractures is the Barcelona based band' second album. They are releasing a twelve inch vinyl on Throatruiner / Trendkill Records, the latter is releasing the CD with Swarm of Nails handling the tape release. So there is no lack of interest in getting this album out there. They start of with some really uniquely dark metal that has melody and mood, but no lack of balls to it that catches your ear from the get go, however when they step on the gas to launch into something more akin to chaotic hardcore the lose the cool feeling the band opened with. It's not that they are not capable and convincing enough to pull it off, it just sound like another band wanting to be a black metal version of Converge.Sure combining the two is bound to come up with some dark and heavy moments, but they are much better at weaving in this melodic dark fog over their songs to reduce themselves to taking the easy way out.

The hardcore element returns on "Cent Mille"it's not as spastic here and carries more of that late 90's thrash cross over element bands returned to.This still is not the most creative direction the band takes their sound. They do manage to tackle a blacker sound with the same kind of intensity they approach hard core with on "L'Incinde" that the following song kind of rides in on it's blur, but with less of an identity of it's own.They are still masters of chug and when brutally cramming some of these riffs down your throat like broken bottle they are deadly serious with their intent.

"Civitas" has a more explosive hardcore element. The drumming really drive the point home that is is whats driving this album despite the great guitar sound these guys have. The little death metal accents would sound right at home on a Dying Fetus album. They sound more natural in more of a black metal mode when they are playing fast than trying to do so in hardcore mode , which seems to serve the band better applied to accents of songs rather than dominating the song.

They play their cards right on the dark closing track "Omayra" and it makes me think that I would have like to have heard more of this on the rest of the album. I will give this album an 8.5 and let it simmer to see if it grows on me. The spazzy hard core parts I think dumb the album down at times and these guys have too much going for them creatively to take the route.