Biomechanical – “The Empires of the Worlds”
I am still assimilating the fact that this band sounds pretty different than what I hear in metal in 2005. The futuristic, marching, robotic, machine-like element of the guitars and drumming give it a certain uniqueness. The vocals are not growled, rather they are more shouted, but sound good. There is a distinguishable Pantera/”Cowboys From Hell” feel to certain moments in the vocals, especially the end-of-verse phrasing. The guitar does also sport the above-mentioned source. However, there are plenty of high-screamed, traditional metal singing parts. If you do not like high-pitched, air-siren screaming, you should avoid this. The sound is modern thrash, but with plenty of twists, like a bit of blasting here and there, background keyboards/effects, the multiple-personality-type vocals, all of which give this a cold, labyrinthine aspect. What is different is the lack of death and black metal influences. Comparisons are often a lazy way of explaining a band’s music. Let me try it here (ha!): think Fear Factory with a young Phil Anselmo and a young Rob Halford rolled into one, playing Pantera and heavier Dream Theater songs. I know that description sounds dumb because this is not a legendary band or anything. Plus, they do not sound like Pantera or whatever. They take elements and make them their own. One thing is for sure: this sounds pretty unique because the way that the influences come together and converge onto a different point of focus. Check it out if you want something different, something more adventurous, while at the same something that combines major 1990s, non-death/non-black metal influences.