The Forsaken – “Traces of the Past”
Everyone says this is Gothenburg-style “melodic death metal”. However, there’s no In Flames stuff here, man. The guitar is down tuned, but sticks more too Vomitory territory, high-pitched screaming a la In Flames, no, its total gruff, growling like Insision or Vomitory. Funky rock n’ roll drumbeats like In Flames? No, it’s often blazing blast-beat; it’s also speed metal drumming a la Slayer. Are there Maiden-like solos? They’re memorable, but power metal this is not. There are four covers here: two Metallica “Blackened” and “Creeping Death” – dirtier/grindier than the originals; same goes for the Slayer song, “Spirit in Black”. There is also a Grave track, “You’ll Never See”. Ever wonder what “Blackened” would sound like with blast-beats, down-tuned guitars and growling? This is not fantastic, but it’s good, but with some mediocre moments.