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On disc: Burst



- Prey On Life - Claudia Ehrhardt - 7 stars


www.burst.nu







Prey On Life

Prey On Life
(Relapse Records - 2003)


The Swedish quintet is partly playing together for a decade, different names and different music. But at least they found their sound and it's called Burst now. The five found a way to combine their different musical taste and influences. Guitarist Jesper is also a member of Nasum and so they had to work around Nasum's schedule. While they were waiting for the release of their mini-CD In Coveting Ways through Chrome Saint Magnus the band wrote new songs. Soon it was obvious that their style on their next output would be different. Their new sound is quite harsh, melodic, aggressive, intense and heavy. Singer Linus Jägerskog's growls give them a touch of death metal, but musically they go different ways. The songs are complex and atmospheric. Prey On Life is their first full-length album present music which is based on metal, punk and hardcore aesthetic combined with ambience and raw emotion - to quote the bio.
The five-some offer complex arrangements, heaviness and melodies. The aggression in their music is mainly caused on the vocals. A good chance to check them out is the track The Foe Sublime. Another interesting track is the instrumental Fourth Sun which starts slowly. More like an ambient dark metal tune. Later it gets a little fast, get more metal, but still can't be compared with the other tracks on this album. The following Crystal Asunder is like a very heavy progressive dark metal song, but when the vocals join in this change a little. A few clear vocals are added and can imagine that this would sound really cool with clean vocals - if distorted or not - and just a few growls / harsh shouts as a contrast.
I guess that more metal fans would learn to love the Swedish, if the vocals would be more 'metal'. On the other hand fans of extreme music probably will find the music ain't extreme enough. It won't be easy to find their target group.... Personally I can say that I really like the music, but the vocals don't fit to it in my opinion. Anyway, it's well done, just not the vocals ain't my cup of tea.


? stars

Claudia Ehrhardt
 

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