Lion Music
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Lies in Black |
CD Lion Music |
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US Power metal with thrash influences. |
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Patent of Control |
CD Lion Music |
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American metallers RESISTANCE return with energetic metal fury on their second full album ‘PATENTS OF CONTROL’. Following on from their acclaimed debut ‘Lies In Black’ the band have recorded 11 tracks which see the band honing their sound with a tighter, heavier and more focused direction and intensity which has been gained from countless live performances on the US live circuit. ‘PATENTS OF CONTROL’ also marks the debut of new guitarist Dave Watson appearing on album with the band. |
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Rating: 9.0 19 October 2007 01. Inhumanation 02. End Of Today 03. Ashes Of Tomorrow 04. One Nation Under G.O.D. 05. Confession Of The Blackheart 06. Paternal Shift 07. Cerebral Screams 08. Technochrist 09. The Cleansing 10. The Alpha & The Omega 11. Mirrors Black This is how heavy metal should be! Wild guitar solos, pure and unadulterated use of the double bass drums, and a guy screaming over the top of it all. This is Resistance from the United States and they are out to make an impression. This is modern heavy metal biting at the very top level, strong thrash metal and power metal influences are to be found lurking within the band's beast of a second album "Patents Of Control". Resistance know how to write songs and they know how to pull them off in blistering fashion, no need for a pointless introduction track - "Inhumanation" kicks the album off right away with a soaring guitar solo and furious flurry of double bass chaos which also sets the trend for the second track of the album. "Ashes Of Tomorrow" shows a slightly different dimension, a slightly slower more singing oriented song but still with its moments of double bass terror and guitar solo paradise. "One Nation Under G.O.D." shows singer Robbie Hett's voice to it's best strengths with a typical American accent singing in a very rock 'n' roll style, not just this track but the whole album he exerts a very strong, confident performance after you adjust to his slightly different sounding voice. The main trend of "Patents Of Control", its backbone, are these pounding drums, unrelenting double bass always accompanied by crushing, stabbing Iced Earth or even "Jugulator" Judas Priest era guitar riffs to give a fantastic groove to really get your head into, of course the formula is not complete without the odd guitar solo swinging its way into the picture. "Paternal Shift" like most of the tracks on the album is introduced with the truly heavy metal guitar/bass drum combination, and also features some disturbing, extreme guest vocals that really bring the track out. Resistance really are not afraid to use the bass drums, "Technochrist" has the usual generous amount but the intensity picks up to the highest on the album when "The Cleansing" powers its way in to reach the frenzying climax of the album, reaching speeds unlike anything else on the album. A huge highlight of the album, it is a very Testament-like thrash song with the more traditional metal style vocals on top. "Patents Of Control" is a rock-solid album of intense, thrash influenced heavy metal. Robbie Hett's vocals may take a short while to get used to, and also the band might tend to lose a little bit of momentum in the middle parts of some songs, but finding problems with this album is like trying to find a needle in a hay stack. The album is produced cleanly to ensure we receive the full sonic experience of the thundering, pummelling of drums and the chugging of the stabbing guitar riffs. If you like your metal heavy, and you love the sweet sound of pedals thumping bass drum skin, then these fifty minutes of "Patents Of Control" will be one of the most pleasurable ones you will have encountered in a measurable amount of time. The most impressive modern heavy metal album I have heard in a long time, you should all find yourselves running to check Resistance out now!
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This foursome has mixed solid lyrics with growling vocals, lush guitar solos, and harmonic background melodies, while at the same time keeping true to the thick, gritty sound we expect. Said to be a CD with a “... tighter, heavier, and more focused direction ...” CD engineer Patrick Miller and mixer Neil Kemon (know for his work with Queensryche and Nevermore) have both done an adept job at making their sound crystal clear and somehow the musicianship punches its way to the forefront, making it easy to concentrate on the music at hand. The story behind Patents of Control is truly one that makes for interesting discussion. Patents of Control chronicles how it would be to live in an ideal society, one free of hunger, crime, poverty, drug addiction and misery. As the CD progresses, it focuses on the idea of thought and behavior control through the use of devices that have actual US Patents. It also continues speaking of world leaders using this information to create a new world order. The first 45 seconds of track 1, “Inhumanation,” almost seems to create a mind control with television news footage speaking of politics, a judge swearing a politician into office, and the sounds of an EKG machine keeping in time with a heart beat when suddenly you hear the ominous 5 seconds of a steady sound signifying a stopped heart, all that makes for a heart pounding introduction. Then at 3:57 guitarist Dan Luna cuts into a killer, killer guitar solo with drummer Matt Ohnemus cutting into a drum line that has to be heard. Faster than any drummer coming to mind, the double bass and use of the snare is beyond fantastic. Track 7 “Cerebral Screams,” is a punch to the head metal rocker with the first beautifully nasty 22 seconds emitting evil hisses, laughter and moans, and a woman’s voice telling the listener with a hushed whisper, “ ... watch your back, watch out - we’re coming, turn around, now is the end ... ” Track 8, “Techochrist,” speaks of the assassination of the President. Closing track 11, “Mirrors Black,” purposely off key in parts talks about “idols of gold,” and a quest to find “the final truth.” What makes this such a standout CD, is while staying with the brand of heavy metal we expect, this CD takes liberties with sounds, lyrics and subject matter. The boys of Resistance push the limit of what they can talk about. They pull no punches, hide no feelings and lay it out on the table for all to hear. It is vivid, dark in parts (“Paternal Shift,”) and earnest in others, (“Confession of the Blackheart,” that will remind one of W.A.S.P, as the voice of Robbie Hett here sounds much like Blackie Lawless.) Patents of Control stays focused and doesn’t meander with redundant or needless notes. Resistance joins the metal world with a vengeance, and here is proof ... Patents of Control. Band Members Track listing: HRH rating: 8.5/10
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Resistance – Patients of Control
Added:
November 17th 2007
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American metallers RESISTANCE return with energetic
metal fury on their second full album ‘PATENTS OF CONTROL’. Following on
from their acclaimed debut ‘Lies In Black’ the band have recorded 11 tracks
which see the band honing their sound with a tighter, heavier and more focused
direction and intensity which has been gained from countless live performances
on the US live circuit. ‘PATENTS OF CONTROL’ also marks the debut of new
guitarist Dave Watson appearing on album with the band.
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Resistance
'Patents of Control'
© 2007 Lion Music
Lion
Music
out
of
Finland
is
really
sporting
quite
a
few
different
sounds
these
days.
If
you
went
back
a
few
years,
you
would
hear
many
more
Neo-classical
bands
and
shredders.
The
label
has
opened
it
up
with
some
more
modern
metal
bands
as
well
as
progressive
type
stuff
as
well.
Resistance
is
one
of
their
power
metal
bands
that
hail
from
America
and
stay
away
from
the
angry
sound
of
hardcore.
It's
all
about
being
a
bit
more
sophisticated
then
the
usual
heavy
crap
with
unintelligible
vocals
and
grind
sessions.
This
band
pounds
it
out,
keeps
it
interesting
and
really,
I
wish
would
catch
a
few
other
industry
types
attention
as
to
what
good
metal
really
is
these
days.
This
band
is
consistent
from
album
to
album.
You
know
what
you
are
going
to
get
each
time,
but
they
approach
it
slightly
different
to
avoid
being
redundant.
The
story
behind
the
bands
latest
album
is
an
interesting
one.
It
revolves
around
one
man's
idea
of
an
ideal
society
that
is
free
from
the
usual
BS
the
world
offers.
This
is
all
accomplished
through
a
device
that
the
guy
actually
gets
a
patent
on,
thus
the
title
of
the
album.
I
like
albums
that
give
you
a
bit
more
to
think
about
as
they
roll
along
rocking
you
out.
The
album
was
mixed
by
Neil
Kernon
which
some
of
you
may
remember
as
being
a
presence
through
the
heyday
of
the
mid
to
late
80's.
I
think
it's
all
done
pretty
well.
The
music
and
band
have
evolved
a
little
since
the
bands
debut
'Lies
in
Black'
which
we
also
liked.
To
really
nail
this
style
down,
it
is
mostly
heavy
with
a
dark
feel.
There
are
definite
double
bass
beats
which
keep
tempo
up a
bit.
Fans
of
bands
such
as
Iced
Earth
might
have
a
definite
interest
in
this.
It's
definitely
nice
to
see
American
acts
getting
a
little
exposure
somewhere
if
not
here
on a
decent
scale.
Overall
Solid
metal
that
borderlines
thrash.
It's
a
bit
more
sophisticated
then
your
typical
thrash
record,
but
isn't
what
I
would
call
progressive
either.
The
band
definitely
have
their
chops
down
in
the
musician
department
as
well
as
songwriting.
If
you
haven't
heard
this
band
before
and
like
it
more
on
the
fast
and
heavy
side
minus
the
crap
vocals
that
are
so
prominent
in
today's
market,
give
these
guys
a
listen.
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Resistance - Patents Of Control file under Heavy/power metal
Rating: 85/100 www.lordsofmetal.nl
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 It all depends on personal taste, of course, but all know a few labels where you're are always open for a new release, even if you know nothing about the band in question, right? For many MER listeners, one of those labels is Lion Music, as they have cultivated a general style for their (at least for non-instrumental!) releases where one knows what you'll get, and where the albums always have at least a decent level of quality. Resistance is no exception to that rule, and it is always worth checking out a new Lion Music release to find that they did offer fans an above average Metal CD – again!
So, to recap a bit of the band’s history: Resistance are from Los Angeles, California, and they play a mixture of Power Metal with occasional injections of Thrash and Prog Metal. As said, almost typical Lion Music stuff. Patents Of Control is their second album after the 2004 debut Lies In Black, and apart from the fact that a new guitar player has joined the band, also there is an improvement in songwriting skills that is obvious almost throughout the album. In fact, so much that in its best moments Patents Of Control has no competition to fear. Resistance’s Power Metal backbone manifests itself in crunchy, heavy songs with a definite sense for a vocal melody, played and composed tight and playfully. Almost all tracks are around four to five minutes long, enough to fit in a break or two, change vocal styles, but not become too diverted from the goal. Singer Robbie Hett has a great Power Metal voice -- still it sounds as if he hasn't reached his full potential yet -- and the contrast of clear, melodic Power Metal vocals and Thrash shouts give all tracks a heavier edge than usual in his genre. With compositions like the opening track “Inhumanation,” “Cerebral Screams,” "The Cleansing," and “Technochrist,” the band taps demandingly on the door to the Power Metal olympus for entry. The riffing is also remarkable on every track, and if one needs further characterization, the band could be described as a mixture of Metal Church, Iced Earth, Nevermore, and Judas Priest with an occasional splash of Into Eternity. Sounds weird? Not at all; sounds great! However, every song is rather diverse, and entertaining, so that it is not so easy to put a label on the sound and songs, which indeed is high praise for a band for their second album. On top of the music, the album has a lyrical concept about near future abuse and means for mind and behavioral control of citizens. Stuff for which patents actually exist today! The main character strives to create the perfect society, a world with no hunger and no poverty, but is that really the desired New World Order? And what if somebody else can make use of the same tools and means, but with a radically different agenda? Among all the praise for the album and the tracks cited, among the eleven songs are three that don't live up to the overall level of brilliance: “Confession Of The Blackheart” sounds erratic and pointless and is the only track definitely worth skipping, while “The Alpha And The Omega” with its disharmonies and weak choirs along with “Mirrors Black” -- a song which seems to be too long -- are still okay, although they draw the overall chemistry of the album downward. Especially so because two of those tracks end the album in an undeservingly mediocre way. And, another point of criticizm must be voiced, which is that many songs are created under the same blueprint. While each track is diverse and progressive, the album is of one style, up to a point where you can anticipate the course of a song even when listening to it for the first time. On the other hand, that is true for half of all albums released every month, so the band should not be judged too harshly for that. That leaves eight great tracks – which is enough to fill a complete album, and other bands might have just stopped there! And, for that, nothing less can be recommended but a purchase, especially as the band streams six songs on their Myspace site including the criticized “Mirrors Black,” so everybody can get a good impression of what to expect.
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Resistance - Lies In Black Lion Music
Tormentor Erich:
"Resistance
steam roll their
metal machine
forward and
deliver the very
best of pure
American metal".
Rating: 79/100
www.lordsofmetal.nl |
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