Band:	Pantheon (UK)
Album:	Dead Or Alive
Style:	Thrash metal
Release date:	2007
A review by:	Baz Anderson

01. Dead Or Alive
02. Diamond Mine
03. Shrapnel
04. Arena Of Invasion

Pantheon are here with their E.P. "Dead Or Alive" to try and make an impression and get their first step on the road to success. The band seem to be one the sort that cannot really be categorised into one place, but unlike some other bands this sounds a little like a loss of control and structure over an ingenious originality. Indeed the first and title track opens sounding almost like some 80's thrash metal band, complete with the crusty production only being perhaps slightly better than back in them days, but then the track meanders off into the land of endless uninteresting guitar solos and mediocrity. The end of the track picks up again but this is pretty much the trend of the E.P.

Now hold on, if this E.P. did not deserve attention then I would not prime you to keep reading. There are parts of this E.P. that make you raise an eyebrow for both good and bad reasons. There are moments where you are certain they will make something good out of a song judging by the first half minute but then unfortunately they fall into some kind of bizarre alternative act with nothing that could be described as pleasant to listen to or interesting.

There are moments where Pantheon sound good, there is some good tempo with the music, we have some cool, funky bass lines towering over the seemingly unintentional chaos in front of it and the band do seem to make an effort to deviate from the status quo of metal bands these days, but it seems a lot of work needs to be done to polish their music and call themselves a complete band that sounds solid and heavy as well as original. Last track "Arena Of Invasion" is probably the most accomplished work on here; it has a good groove and stomp to it but still nothing that I would consider particularly notable.

Unfortunately in just over twenty minutes there is nothing in this relatively short space of time that particularly jumps out to be of anything of considerable interest, but the intention of the band seem to be one of working at a different, likeable and original band - they just need to develop their areas of performance and songwriting a little more before the next effort.