Frontside
Twilight Of The Gods - A First Step To Mental Revolution

Poland is becoming a fertile ground for metal. From these lands, we receive some truly promising offerings in the field of metal and its derivatives.

This is the case with Frontside, who have reached their second album after the successful "“...and forgive us our sins”," an album that so captivated critics it was nominated as the best metal release of 2003, winning a prestigious Grammy. The genre that suits this Polish combo is quite aggressive metalcore, perhaps a direct response to American bands like Killswitch Engage or Mushroom Head, and this new "“Twilight Of The Gods – A First Step To Mental Revolution”" is a simple and direct message of just that.

We are certainly dealing with a work that borrows heavily from the more extreme thrash territories, like Slayer, but there are also significant influences that nod to Floridian death, so don't be surprised if you hear sound walls that call to mind Obituary or Morbid Angel. The band's performance is undoubtedly commendable, producing a triumph of distorted guitars and staccato riffs, screamed vocals, and violent cries, managing, for better or worse, to create fairly personal songs, not with an unmistakable sound, but pleasant and with the right amount of power. Things take off swiftly with "Apocalypse Continues", rich in excellent riffs and gratifying sonic violence: you'll find thrash riffs reminiscent of early Machine Head with well-executed growl vocals in the background. "Burden Hell" continues along the lines of the opening track: a fast and direct piece, powerful just (not) enough. "Messiah Syndrome" seems to reproduce a riff already heard in the first two songs, and once again brings Machine Head's solo guitar approach to mind.

"We Are Destined to Burn", "Hurricane" and "Appeal for Forgiveness" follow this stylistic story, with frenetic rhythms and staccato riffs, with nuances reminiscent of Slayer. The energy of these tracks, despite not being very original, is truly enormous, very adrenaline-pumping and with rare intensity. The slow intro (almost reminiscent of those Metallica-style intros) of "Absolution Hours" is interesting while unusual melodic openings accompany "Embrace This Promise". The last three tracks are once again a testimony of power and aggression: "Shape of Pain" (despite still having a very melodic refrain), "Redemption Symphony", with its frantic drum rhythm, and "Exhaling Final Breath". The artwork deserves a positive note: very gory and slightly brutal, making it an attractive purchase.

Certainly a good job by these five Polish guys. It would require a bit more of their own abilities. Imitating other more famous bands is possible, surely, but it lowers the quality of an album of this genre, where originality and personality are demanded since "totally" new releases are scarce. I am comforted by the fact that Frontside has the means and abilities to pursue their path more conscientiously and develop the good they can do.