Review Summary: This is for the hearts still beating.
A note for the readers: I’ve been listening to the original Polish-language version of this album for the purpose of this review, but there is an English version “…for ours is the kingdom, the power and glory…” available for those of you who might be intimidated by Polish language. The one English-language quote from a song provided in the review is my own translation, as I consider the one used for English version of the song to be quite inaccurate.
When you start exploring a band’s discography from their latest release and then go back to the very first one, you expect to hear early installment weirdness in full swing. That
should have been the case with Frontside since a) this is their first and only independently released LP and b) their defining singer did not join them yet at the time. However, you have to delve into details to find some shades of that early installment weirdness in some of these songs, as the basics of the band’s sound are already firmly established on “ours is the kingdom…” To see that, you don’t have to look further than “Intro/Chaos,” which is not just an intro, but a full song (I personally like it when bands do that!), and quite an intense and menacing one at that. The guitar leads in this particular song and throughout the album are clearly inspired by Slayer, which is one of the few signs that the band is still searching for its sound, but that’s not a bad thing at all if done well. The riffs, however, show the band’s ability to step out of the shadow of their influences, because they are full-fledged NWOAHM riffs at the time when the movement was barely taking shape. Lamb of God
would have been the most obvious point of reference, except LoG themselves only released their first album one year before this one (and Frontside also already had an EP out in 2000) and were not yet the household name they became later. So, I don’t think that Frontside were influenced by Lamb of God, rather both bands were exploring the same sound at the same time in different corners of the Earth. I would say that Frontside’s results of such exploration were much beefier and hard-hitting than those of their famous overseas counterparts, but bear in mind that I’ve never been a fan of LoG.
I also have to emphasize how fitting Astek’s vocals are for this style of music. True, he only stayed for the first two albums, but this is not the case of, for example, Iced Earth, where both singers preceding Matt Barlow were just sub-par and unskilled. Astek mostly sticks to growls that conjure an image of a bear fighting off the hunting dogs, and his vocals are gruff and powerful as befits this meaty and beefy music, but he has a few tricks up his sleeve. Which is very fitting, because on this album Frontside experiments with some styles they won’t really revisit after, such as nu-metal (especially in the latter half of the album) or hardcore punk.
I would say that the first few tracks tend to blend into one another somewhat, although they are the clearest representatives of what will later be called NWOAHM sound. My favorites, however, are mostly cluttered in the middle of the album, when the band starts incorporate some extra influences and nuances in their music. An early win for me is “Synowie Ognia” (“Sons of Fire”) with the band’s first attempt at a clean chorus, followed by two of the best songs on the album. The wonderful punk-infused “1902” (not included in the English version) is a gleefully proud hymn to the band’s native city of Sosnowiets. The lyrics might be rough and juvenile, but you can see that the band really loves their city. While we’re at it, juvenile but earnest lyrics are not a bug, but a feature. They are an important and recognizable aspect of Frontside sound. The band is socially conscious, tries to cover important topics in their lyrics, and is always passionate about the subject matter of its songs. These guys’ hearts are in the right place, even if their brains are elsewhere sometimes.
Meanwhile, that mid-album streak of particularly interesting songs continues with “Krew za Krew” (“Blood for Blood”). The intro to the song is quite Sabbatical, followed by Astek’s brutal roars and punchy nu-metal riffs, but what makes the song special is a simple but memorable acoustic guitar melody that underscores the verses and enriches the whole experience. This song is a testament to the band’s already present ability to look beyond the heavy riffs and use some unusual songwriting decision for the benefit of a song. Similarly, “Kulminacja” alternates between heavy and melodic parts just as Astek moves from growls and shrieks to semi-rapped vocals. And then there is the closer “Linia Zycia” (“Lifeline”), which is one more song that deserves a special consideration. It starts with a psychedelic Eastern-tinged melody, carefully accentuated by the drums, and Astek’s wordless vocalizations reminiscent of Devon Graves from Psychotic Waltz (sic!). I’ve told you this guy is capable of more than just mighty roars! One other great thing about this song is that it ends the album the way all of us will end… with dying. The last minute or so of “Lifeline” is just Astek growling desperately “I am dying! I will leave nothing behind!” over some mountainous riffs. Conceptually fitting, no?
Anyway, it’s time to round up the review as well, although nobody dies in the end (not this time at least). “...ours is the kingdom…” is not an ugly duckling, but an accomplished and diverse album, and all those years later the band should still be proud of it. The only reason why I’m lowering my rating a bit is that this sound will be utilized with an even greater efficiency on most of the band’s following albums. But this LP is already a treat for any fan of crushing and uncompromising metallic hardcore.
