Perseverance is a gigantic tidal wave of an album. Durban death metallers Contrast The Water unleashed their second full-length album upon the metal community last year.The band has recently returned from a successful USA tour, and will be heading back in May for the summer circuit.
The lively Beware Be Warned begins the destruction with fast and heavy riffing and monstrous vocals. A clean (and fast) guitar solo counterbalances the heaviness of the track. Clean solos which bring the technicality and speed appear throughout the album. The combination of technicality and a heavy-as-hell sound is extremely pleasing to my ears.
Death Mirrors Mine Eyes has a catchy groove to it. A menacing tone is added by the dissonant clean guitar solo in the background and some whispered words. A headbanger of a break appears later in the song. In keeping with the menacing tone, creepy-sounding background guitar sneaks to the fore. The growl at the end sent a shiver down my spine. The next track, Washing The Spears, also has a groove to it. The lead guitar harmonises with the rhythm guitar, then comes forward for a great solo. The evilly-bubbling guitar on Death Mirrors Mine Eyes echoes the lyrical content, which concerns the violence committed against women and children. Disturbing statistics are printed above the lyrics: ''Every 24 seconds a woman gets raped in South Africa...3 out of every 5 women will get raped...588 children die to violence every week...''. Contrast The Water reminds us that, disturbing as this situation may be, it is something which should not be ignored.
A sure headbanger is Defile. The catchy main riff got my head moving. The blistering solo sealed the deal on this song becoming one of my favourite tracks on Perseverance. An instrumental interlude follows, providing a breather before the aural onslaught resumes. My Pride Is All I Have has a thrashy feel. The lead guitar screams, mirroring the defiance in the lyrics. Machine gun drumming ushers in Fallen, the powerful closer. The volume briefly softens before plunging back into brutality. My ears were treated to another beautiful solo. The breakdown on this track avoids being monotonous due to its still having sonic layers - a characteristic which the other breakdowns on the album (thankfully) share.
Perseverance is an album which perfectly balances force and the showcasing of musical skill. I for one am looking forward to the next round of tidal waves.
The lively Beware Be Warned begins the destruction with fast and heavy riffing and monstrous vocals. A clean (and fast) guitar solo counterbalances the heaviness of the track. Clean solos which bring the technicality and speed appear throughout the album. The combination of technicality and a heavy-as-hell sound is extremely pleasing to my ears.
Death Mirrors Mine Eyes has a catchy groove to it. A menacing tone is added by the dissonant clean guitar solo in the background and some whispered words. A headbanger of a break appears later in the song. In keeping with the menacing tone, creepy-sounding background guitar sneaks to the fore. The growl at the end sent a shiver down my spine. The next track, Washing The Spears, also has a groove to it. The lead guitar harmonises with the rhythm guitar, then comes forward for a great solo. The evilly-bubbling guitar on Death Mirrors Mine Eyes echoes the lyrical content, which concerns the violence committed against women and children. Disturbing statistics are printed above the lyrics: ''Every 24 seconds a woman gets raped in South Africa...3 out of every 5 women will get raped...588 children die to violence every week...''. Contrast The Water reminds us that, disturbing as this situation may be, it is something which should not be ignored.
A sure headbanger is Defile. The catchy main riff got my head moving. The blistering solo sealed the deal on this song becoming one of my favourite tracks on Perseverance. An instrumental interlude follows, providing a breather before the aural onslaught resumes. My Pride Is All I Have has a thrashy feel. The lead guitar screams, mirroring the defiance in the lyrics. Machine gun drumming ushers in Fallen, the powerful closer. The volume briefly softens before plunging back into brutality. My ears were treated to another beautiful solo. The breakdown on this track avoids being monotonous due to its still having sonic layers - a characteristic which the other breakdowns on the album (thankfully) share.
Perseverance is an album which perfectly balances force and the showcasing of musical skill. I for one am looking forward to the next round of tidal waves.
