After Oblivion - Stamina review
| Band: | After Oblivion |
| Album: | Stamina |
| Style: | Technical thrash metal |
| Release date: | November 09, 2012 |
| Guest review by: | K✞ulu |
01. Deliverance
02. For The Rebels
03. Vultures
04. Breeding Perdition
05. The Carnal Form
06. Septic Mind
07. Ascent Of Misery
08. Stamina
09. Hatred Profound
How many bands from Bosnia and Herzegovina do you know? Exactly. After Oblivion made some heads turn (including mine) in 2011 with their Vultures EP, and deservingly so. Three songs of technical thrash with interesting ideas in all of them, albeit with a certain dose of repetition. Add the vocals that bring back warm memories of Chuck Schuldiner, and that makes for a pretty good start indeed. All the band had to do next was to listen to some other genres of metal or music in general, come up with some fresh fusions and record a mind-boggling debut full-length packed with fast riffs, shredding, and modernly technical transitions, and that would be it. Yeah, I made it sound a bit too easy; however?
What we get instead on Stamina is 33 minutes of repetitive riffs jumping from one song to another with a changed order of notes. That's just not gonna cut it in today's competitive metal world, and doing Chuck Schuldiner-like vocals does not save the day (because vocals will never fix the riffs, at least for this reviewer). Generally speaking, the songs have a nice groove to them, but the problem is that after hearing the three tracks from the EP, they are the only ones that stand out, and that makes the listening experience quite disappointing.
The dudes have got some skills, no doubt about it: the guitar playing - both rhythm and solo - is precise and clinical, and some songs have quite technical moments. The drums are often simplistic, but at times the fills are quite enjoyable, and in general the drummer seems to know what he is doing. The bass is subtly present, and overall the production is good, but the sound could be a little wider, not so tense and limited.
Frankly speaking, I don't know where this band is going, but I would like to hear something more original next time around. They have a vigorous sound, and if they are able to present something truly of their own with it, I would welcome that wholeheartedly. Clearly, After Oblivion need to think wider and embrace more, be braver, and explore the depth of their potential.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 8 |
| Songwriting: | 6 |
| Originality: | 6 |
| Production: | 7 |
Written by K✞ulu | 27.05.2013
Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
Comments
Comments: 1
Visited by: 27 users
| psykometal A staff guy... Elite Posts: 6101  |
Very apt review. I too discovered them with Vultures back in 2011, and was astounded. When this first came out I was all too quick to think it was fantastic, but after many many more subsequent listens I realized it is as you have so aptly described it in your review; too repetitious and the 3 tracks from Vultures are the only real standout tracks. I do however look forward to their next album, in the hopes that it will be more open and diverse. The similarities to Death are so astounding I wonder if they started out as a Death cover band. Lol.
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