![\"intrinsic\"](\"http:\/\/powerofmetal.dk\/newsite\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/intrinsic.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nAlthough the album is already out for a while, I found it interesting enough to still review it for our site. The band already released an LP called ‘Intrinsic’ in 1987 and an EP in 1990 called ‘Distortion Of Perspective’.\u00a0They started with their self-financed album ‘Nails’ but stopped and put it on the shelves for nearly 25 years. According to the infosheet, the band started with a big throwback because the band’s sole master recording DAT had degraced since it was last used. Fortunately, the Original engineer had preserved the session reels and\u00a0so a brand new mix was created from scratch. The band raised money via crowdfunding\u00a0to finance these extra costs and this\u00a0release is the result.<\/p>\n
From scratch you hear that the songs are written in the nineties and\u00a0they also created a sound reminding of albums\u00a0produced in that period. This gives me\u00a0a nice remembrance back to those days. A time when albums of bands like Death Angel, Toxic, Laaz Rockit, Watchtower and stuff like that were regular listening stuff for me. The music is\u00a0eighties (Bay Area) (power) thrash with lots of progressive elements. Vocalist Lee Dehmer has the typical singing style similar to singers of\u00a0 Death Angel, Sanctuary, Toxic and Laaz Rockit. High singing with\u00a0aggressive raw edges every now and then.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0riffs are chuggy and galloping and the tempos vary a lot.\u00a0But there is more, the band\u00a0also uses influences from the 70’s with Led Zeppelin kind of accoustic guitar parts in “Inner Sanctum”. The soft track “Mourn For Her” reminds a bit of Rush. In the softer parts, Lee shows that he is a very good singer reminding of a young Rob Halford. Halfway throughm, “On\u00a0Gossamer Wings”\u00a0and \u00a0especially parts of “Mourn For Her”, certain vocal parts remind me\u00a0of ‘Stained Class’ times.\u00a0In another soft song, “Inner Sanctum”, there are nice violins and together with the strong vocals, this is yet another fine track. On the other hand, heavier songs like “Fight No More” remind a bit of Iron Maiden, “State Of the Union” has Laaz Rockit riffs, “Die Trying”\u00a0is full of Sanctuary influences, midtempo track “Pillar of Fire” is Forbidden combined with Iced Earth etc etc.\u00a0“Too Late, But Not Forgotten” is again a very heavy song with Warrel Dane\u00a0singing style and Forbidden, Laaz Rockit and\u00a0Heathen influences.<\/p>\n
All these styles sound\u00a0great when combined and by adding a lot of technical parts and tempo changes, the band created an album that every old school progressive thrash fan will certainly like. With “Dazed & Confused” they also show that they are capable of playing a nice cover (Led Zeppelin) without messing up the song.\u00a0All musicians are technically skilled and the solos\u00a0stick to the songs.\u00a0There is only one thing that irritates me about the album and that is\u00a0the rank of the songs. The\u00a0second half of the album\u00a0has too much softer songs and that makes the first part more interesting. Perhaps they should have put some more softer songs in the first part. Also, the last track is confusing, they\u00a0tried to create a funny song\u00a0with trumpets and big band elements based on Mordred riffs. A track like “The Vicious Circle” represents one of the\u00a0weaker moments as well. The first half of the album is great, the second part a bit weaker, but in general nice listening stuff.<\/p>\n
Without these mistakes, the album would have scored even higher, but it certainly is worth listening, especially when you dig a lot of variation.<\/p>\n