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LP REVIEW |
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01.
ANAMNESIS
(5:37)
Length: 50:25 (min:secs)
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Take some great vocals which ooze character, combine with hard rock guitars and a progressive approach, and then finally add a little ambition and you get My Life In The Making. And here we have the debut full length album from the four-piece Kent melodic metallers, who have created ten heavily influenced songs which definitely forge a strong union for their cause. In down-to-earth terms they merge a heavy chugging guitar, double bass drum sound - sometimes almost like a slowed down Testament - in amongst rather more dynamic and intricate Tool-esque style guitars and together with a flush of magical melodies and sweet vocals, they have fashioned an incredibly appealing style. There are quite a number of stand out songs, but three seem to be particularly obvious: “Anamnesis” is a powerful piece of melodic chugging, a great opening song as it’s very accessible and carries a decent heavy element but also a pleasant balance of melody. The acoustic section midway through is a cool interlude which gives depth in a song that has a precise blend of power and melody in both vocals and music, making it one of the best tracks on the album. “Someone Else’s Conclusion” shows for the first time the more detail nature of the guitar work - having a Tool like feel in the chord progressions. It’s like old-school hard rock with a modern edge, a magnitude more intensity and features a great emotionally charged final section. “Need To Know” again pours out the strong Tool influence - it’s a rich and progressive sounding song, which builds with layers of melody that increase in intensity and showcase the wonderfully emotion filled vocals. It’s doesn't seem right to leave out “Six”, which also deserves a special mention as it too contains some nice song dynamics and charm. As does “The Part Where“ that punches well above it’s weight and carries cracking melody but still kicks out some powerful chords. On balance, the first half of the album definitely comes across as the stronger. Maybe it’s because the album is a collection of songs that are too similar and just a little more diversity is required. This is not to say that the songs are bad, but you do find that as the album proceeds your interest starts to wane and maybe a little more variety/contrast in style would redress the balance. Having said that, they do slow things down quite a lot in the last 2 songs, but unfortunately the more laid-back ending actually seems to accentuate the drift of attention. |
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There is an awful lot to take out of this album and be happy
with, not least of all the excellent vocals, outstanding musical abilities,
great ear for melody and an incredibly tight rhythm section with the two
Alflatt’s. The great singing voice and melodic vocals of Ken Graham are so
powerful that they amazingly outdo the interspersed shouty vocals - which
while still managing impact actually sound a little weak and dry and
perversely don’t have anything like the same force as those that are sang -
it’s quite marvellous. Showing awesome promise, this accomplished debut
album should see the band make huge strides - they certainly deserve to.
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- Rigsby
(20th April, 2005) |
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Line-up: Vocals: KEN GRAHAM - Guitar and Vocals: TED CLARK - Bass: SAM ALFLATT - Drums: TOM ALFLATT |
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