Review Summary: A solid, no nonsense thrash album that displays many of its genres lasting strengths.
Ever since its origins in the 1970’s, various subgenres of heavy metal have come and gone, leaving a memorable yet brief mark on the musical landscape. Forms such as Hair Metal and Nu-Metal among others have had their day and largely evaporated, leaving the gates open for fresh-faced innovators to further push the boundaries of the vast genre. There are of course exceptions to this trend, and one of the most notable of these is thrash, which remains successful long after its heyday in the late eighties, when it was a relatively new phenomenon.
And while not all of its bands are of the type that will push metal forward, many still make effective music that is capable of stirring enjoyment. A perfect example of one of these bands is British quartet Sworn Amongst, whose second album, while by no means a classic serves as a reminder of the power of plain no-nonsense thrash. Furthermore, it shows that as the genre enters its fourth decade, it remains a strong and fruitful source of music.
Sworn Amongst formed in 2002, and after a few line-up changes first came to prominence in 2005 having come second in a Kerrang! unsigned bands competition. Their debut album,
And So It Begins was released last year, largely to critical acclaim, meaning that this follow-up has been eagerly anticipated in some quarters. And while
Severance may on the surface seem to merely pick up where their debut left off, there are a few significant progressions that become evident.
The first, and possibly most obvious is the increased technicality of the bands sound, and although far from the level of, say BTBAM, this has a largely positive effect. The riffs on their debut were certainly good, but often became stale after repetition, a problem that is largely overcome here by the more interesting guitar work. Progress has also been made in the rhythm section, with both drummer Jonny Harper and bassist Rob Elwood making strides, though the latter’s contribution is often predictably inaudible. A portion of the credit for this should go to new guitarist Jonny Barker, whose addition seems to have encouraged the band to push themselves further as musicians.
The production of
Severance is also superior to that of its predecessor, with the drums paticually benefitting from the more polished, heavier sound. But what of the actual songs? As expected, all of them keep to a basic formula, offering no thrills or new ideas, just plain good quality thrash.
Denounced serves as an obvious standout, with its chanted chorus providing arguably the albums catchiest moment. The same could be said for the similarly structured
Exploited (Systematically) though to a lessar degree. Elsewhere, the energetic riffs that dominate the title track perfectly set the toll for the rest of the album, while
Scratch The Surface shows the bands increasing technicality at its most productive. Liam Liddell’s rough voice will likely irritate some, but in truth this can be said for most thrash bands, as the genre isn’t exactly a hotbed for vocal talent. His lyrics in songs like
Useless are also suspect at times, yet there are no real duds on an overall consistant offering.
As mentioned,
Severance is not a classic. There will be far greater and more influential thrash albums (and probably bands) to look forward to in the coming decade, but for what it is, it’s a solid and enjoyable album. Indeed, the fact that a fairly standard thrash record such as this remains a fulfilling listen displays the genres lasting appeal, and should ensure that it will survive as a major force in metal for the next decade at the very least.
Recommend Tracks
Denounced
Severance
Scratch The Surface
