Review Summary: A decent slap to the butt cheeks, but not enough to give a good memory of the event.
Pikazilla thought this review was well written
Intro:
I want you to think of a melodic death metal band. Got it? Good. The Halo Effect sound like that. Arch Enemy, Wintersun, Amon Amarth, Demon Hunter, Dark Tranquility, yes, even Ensiferum. Of course I am exaggerating in some cases (or am I?), but the message should be clear. This is not an original band, it is a copied and pasted sound. Is that really so bad? Well…
Review:
Doing what everyone else does but doing it well can go multiple ways like an orgy. When Shania Twain did it in her forgettable debut it did no favours for her, yet when Bieber did he became quite big. Following in the footsteps of Bieber, The Halo Effect go for broke, clutching previously successful musicians with an iron grip, and pickpocketing them in the process, with a secret handjob for good measure. Winking at the audience, The Halo Effect bring glorious melodic metal with beastly but completely standard harsh vocals and a little fire and spark; a little fire goes a long way because they manage to hold on to the flame like an Olympic runner. Here’s the thing: this album isn’t needed, because there are plenty melodic death metal albums that scald chin hairs, yet it is welcome. It’s like another installment in the X-Men franchise, and therein lies the only problem - it’s been overdone (like when I’m sleepy making burgers), especially the cheesy riffs. This type of music is a dime a dozen, a third party Xbox controller.
Conclusion:
Perhaps on a gloomy, rainy day, I might spin this because the band name is memorable, and that is the only way I will remember this band to be honest. This is standard melodic death metal to a tee, and as weeping has its time, so doth said genre. It’s heavy as metal, and metal is heavy when you think about it. Like lifting heavy metal can make your arms sore, so doth heavy riffs make a solid effect. If you like this genre you will like this album and that’s that, and if you disagree you are a sad, strange little man.
