Nekrogoblikon : " The Fundamental Slimes and Humours"

 

It is not surprising that a gimmick like this could have come from Los Angeles. Where else would someone think, "Oh what about some glorified nu-metal for the kids that play Dungeons & Dragons? " the thing about albums, is when you are not watching clowns on stage then it boils down to are these good songs or not. I think the joking, is what doesn't make me take the more metallic elements that serious. At best they are like System of a Down, with Axl Rose influenced vocals thrown in. To have a goblin in the band things are too bouncy and happy. The vocals are well produced, and they have captured sounds, but what they are woven into leaves something to be desired. I was expecting something more folk metal, as it is this is way too happy for me , even in the tongue and cheek death metal parts. Can they play fast ? Yes, but that does not mean they are heavy. "Yin" is almost hard to listen to as it borders on obnoxious. 

The more groove oriented "Supernove" is a chaotic mess in terms of song writing. I am a huge Mr. Bungle fan so , ok with breaking from norms, but they have melodies that hook you in, here that is not happening.  So far the best song is "Bones" which sounds like Muse colliding with Slipknot. "Going to Die" doesn't work as well as it sounds like circus music written by Steel Panther. " A Lesson in Hate" comes close to being death metal but clowns around too much. It is more metal than everything on this album we have heard up to this point  "This is It' is more of a chaotic mess than the more traditional powerish metal like thing they have going on with "Fancy Wind" .

There is a more 80s feel that collides with the modern metal foolery with "Carousels" . Yes these guys can play their instruments well, they are just not doing it in a way where this is heavy and if not for the guitar tones and snarling vocals it would not be metal. As it is they teeter this line. in terms of songwriting "No Such Thing as a Key" is perhaps the second song that works for me. Still they are skilled enough at what they do for me to give this album a 7.5, for people who are into this kind of thing. This is more than generous on my part, and takes into account this is just not for me.