Comments:
Hard charging, straight ahead heavy metal that has a progressive slant
to it is much better than a full-fledged assault from a keyboard band
trying to be metal. In this vein, Loch Vostok was created and comes
through for real metal fans with a deep seeded complete album entitled
Destruction Time Again. Fortunately for us it is so much more
then that. This band, named after a subterranean lake in Antarctica,
rose out of the collapse of Progressive Metal band Mayadome in 2001.
But after hearing that new creation, Loch Vostok’s album you
would be hard pressed to refer to them as progressive, as hard rough
vocals and killer riffs knock you on your ass.
The
best thing about the album is many areas that are unique when the
tempos and styles are completely flipped and this band shows their
complete acumen. One of the songs which best illustrates this diversity
is “Jonestown Slumber Party” where the band shows wonderful
keyboard work from and both slow and gentle and fast and powerful
guitar playing. They also use some near death metal vocals and a small
funky drum solo from Alvero Svanero in this great song as well.
The
next song “Xerox Nation” shows this same unique ability
when a basic rock song is turned into a progressive ditty with outstanding
keys and then a charging chugging riff which blends into a slow axe
rhythm. Then it’s back to the rock song format it originally
started with. There are many really different well played guitar solos
from Moller and Kupper are spaced throughout the album such as the
soulful clean/then deviant and aggressive piece in “Hamanitix”,
the thrash metal distortion filled joint in “Rebound” or
the one in “Xerox Nation” with chops and riffs mixed through.
If
you are more of a speed metal guy, then the solo in “Autumn Lord”
is the one for you. If you like virtuosity and clean playing then
the one in “Talk” is par for your course. The keyboards
of Fredrik Klingwall are used really well also, like in the middle
of the hard death metal sounding “Falself” the majestic
black metal key notes found in “Jonestown Slumber Party”,
or the jovial symmetry of the speedy keys in “Talk.” The
vocals are the most interesting of all the diverse musical approaches
as frontman Teddy Möller pretty much spans all the genres. Several
songs he sings gruff rock vocals while on others it's death vocals,
then finally smooth soft rock vocals and all of it works on each of
the intended songs level.
This band is simply straight forward in your face different, and it
works. Pick up a copy of Destruction Time Again immediately
if not sooner. It is a really well done effort from start to finish
from the Swedish semi Progressive “Metal” outfit.
Band
members:
Teddy Möller - Vocals/Guitar
Niklas Kupper - Guitars
Tomas "Tym" Jonsson - Bass
Fredrik Klingwall - Keyboards
Alvaro Svanerö - Drums
Track
listing:
Humanitix
Rebound
Jonestown Slumber Party
Xerox Nation
Autumn Lord
Destruction Time Again
Symbiosis
Falself
Talk
True Deceiver
Gestalta
HRH
Rating: 8.2/10
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