Pyogenesis
Twinaleblood

THE REVIEW

Before death-doom bands like Paradise Lost and Anathema decided to change their style and lighten their distressing sound, there was a historical precursor little known to most. We are talking about the German Pyogenesis, a band dear to a user of these pages and, at least back then, creators of excellent albums.

After debuting with the EP "Ignis Creatio" and continuing with the more subdued, but no less wrenching, "Sweet X-Rated Nothing," Pyogenesis decided it was time to turn the page. The year was 1996.

Out with the growl vocals, which will still appear sporadically in this work, out with the massive riffs, and out with that look of gloomy gothic metal ceremonialists. The metamorphosis was complete.

So, how might a band sound after clearing away all those characteristics attributable to a well-defined genre like extreme metal?

Take the melodies of the early Offspring and combine them with the melancholic rock of Alice In Chains and Pearl Jam. In short: a punk-grunge album with some ultra-metallic openings. It’s not bad at all!

Sure, the whole thing has a bit of the flavor of a commercial operation, but if only there were similar commercial operations nowadays!

"Twinaleblood" is an album that shows the band in a period of full inspiration, a period that unfortunately will not be repeated in the career of Pyogenesis, given the pop-punk junk produced a few years later and considering the fact that two members of the group would end up joining Liquido (yes, those Liquido!).

Noteworthy songs? I would say the catchy yet never trivial "Undead," a track that opens the album and immediately shows us how many and what changes have been made. It continues with the pop-punk of the title track and reaches what, at least in my opinion, is one of the best compositions on the album: "Weeping Sun." The grunge imprint is heavy but suddenly a guttural, almost growl, vocal erupts. By now everyone knows, I don't like analyzing albums track-by-track, so I'll list the songs that struck me the most.

Among them, certainly, are the aggressive "God Complex" and "Mutz Umbst Erben," a sort of tribute to the old sounds proposed by Pyogenesis. "Abstract Life" also makes a strong impression in this sonic vortex.

As mentioned, an album that excellently combines the sounds that were all the rage at the time (pop-punk and grunge) with bursts of good old metal. Melody and anger. Perhaps not an essential work but undoubtedly tasty and engaging. A work that, after twenty-three years, still feels fresh.