Soundisciples United Kingdom

"This release by Soundisciples is admittedly more on the techno side than on the metal side, as Soundisciples make consistent use of various types of electronically programmed drum patterns (ranging from frantic Prodigy-like drum patterns over groovy hip hop beats to slower and heavier drum & bass stuff [please bear with my inept use of electronica terminology - I know nothing about that kind of music]), synths and samples.

The only analogue instrument is a heavily distorted guitar, which is the primary contributor of the metalness of this album. The guitar appears on every track, and the riffage is unmistakenly metal, and I would argue that writing this off as non-metal would be incorrect. A lot of the riffs are actually pretty cool and they always fit the underlying electronic backdrop very well; the guitar is very dominant in the mix, but I have not decided whether I think that is a good thing or a bad thing. Oh, I should mention that a real human-played bass pops up every now and then, and there are also acoustic sections in some of the tracks. The vocals are very 90s-ish and sound a bit like Nick Holmes, had Paradise Lost been a grunge band.

I think there is a lot of good stuff on this album, but the tracks are very repetitive - which I am sure is deliberate - and that makes this release a bit dense or cumbersome listen at times.

(review originally posted on metalmusicarchives.com)"