Review Summary: If you don’t like technicality or melody… welcome home.
First off I would like to mention that this is my first review and to please take that into account. Second, I have no bias regarding breakdowns (which this site is known for having). Which brings me to my review:
When I picked this album, I’m going to be honest; I did have very high hopes this. The song that was released early not only proved to me that nothing had changed in their music style but also that it may even be worse than before. Going from a listenable, enjoyable chug-fest to an Emmure-esque song structure did not prove to be beneficial for this band. The structure of most of the songs goes a little something like this: Intro (slow guitar), crushing vocals accompanied by breakdown(s), fast paced drumming with the guitars whining in the background and then the final breakdown. The structure of this album is one of the reasons that this album is held down. About half-way through you may be thinking “haven’t I heard this song before?” The result of this is a long string of songs that can most likely be described as a repetitive marathon of breakdowns with awesome vocals. Doesn’t sound too bad right?
The vocals in this album are what save this from utter damnation. The deep growl as well as the high pitched scream has improved since The Harbinger. Molotov Solution has something going for them which is the vocalist. Molotov has a vocalist which is distinct from many others in this genre of metal. The one grievance I have with this however is the layering of the screams. They are used as somewhat of filler that was found commonly throughout their last album and more than commonly used this time around. Speaking of things in excess the “badass” catchy phrase before a breakdown can be added to the list. Take for instance the track “Insurrection” and this catchy line: “we won’t change for this world; we’ll change this world for us”. Its things like this that is done in almost every breakdown that takes away the power and meaning that these vocals have behind them. Instead it sounds like everything that you have already heard but worded slightly different.
For the topic everyone has waited for: the breakdowns. There are some breakdowns on this cd of 40+ (exaggerated or correct who knows?) lay a few gems to look out for. “Insurrection” actually has a cool final breakdown with the angry lyrics “ F*ck your world, you can have it”. This may sound kind of teenager-ish but it works well with the song. In addition to this, “Final Hour” is nothing special however the intro followed by the simple breakdown for some reason caught my attention. All of a sudden Oceano’s vocalist, Adam, comes in with throat ripping vocals that may cause instantaneous fear ( lol). A huge breakdown follows Adams vocals… godamm that’s br00tal. Nothing special or unique about these songs they are just executed half-way decent.
The part that is bi-polar for me on this album is the guitar and drums. There in some cases show a type of melody (I know crazy right?) and rhythm that is there for an instance than escapes only leaving the listener with a feeling of confusion. What happened to the guitar? All I hear is buh-duh-nuh-nuh! Then all of a sudden the whining notes most commonly associated with the 11 through 15 frets on the first string of the guitar blare through. The same thing is found when listening to the drums which are not well-done. Drums are supposed to be an addition to the song but they fall to being empty and repetitive. Nothing about the drums grabbed my attention or made me listen specifically for the drums.
This album as a whole is very strange to review. What is strange is this is the same good MS but with a new format. A few good things that could be improved are overshadowed by the monotony of breakdowns and whiny guitars. What could be improved is the build-up off breakdowns and the infrequency of the breakdown would be steps in the right direction. Could this have been better? Oh hell yes it could have. The next time around MS need to focus on the cohesion of their songs instead of a frenzy of drums and breakdowns to keep all the bros entertained.
Don’t check this out if:
• Technical guitars are your thing
• You hate breakdowns or mildly dislike them
• You want something fulfilling or deep
Check this out if:
• You love breakdowns
• Br00tality in every song
• You liked The Harbinger and want to take a chance
Recommended tracks:
“Rise”, “Insurrection”, “Final Hour”.
