The latest album by "Basanos" has been described as "angry" when I had the link to the preview in front of me. About as angry as the administrators are with me, since I had quite a bit of trouble categorizing this band correctly (and thus had to keep postponing the review). But now, after seemingly endless waiting, it should finally be time: "Basanos" are finally making their way into the world of Ramtatta!
The band name is derived from Ancient Greek and means something like "slave torture." So, it shouldn't be surprising that one shouldn't expect cheerful, moist pop-punk. The "angry" album comes from a "Groove Metal" band, whatever that is supposed to mean. Since I don't understand much about groove, I can at least give the pleasant confirmation to all fans: It sounds damn much like metal!
If you've ever managed to swipe a beer from a drunken biker, you'll know what I mean: mediocre speed, dark noise, and endless growling/yelling. The groove metallers also have that to offer, while they roll out a successful musical backdrop: hard and aggressive guitar riffs, a barely audible bass (but at times still allows for something like "deep mood"), and of course a diligent drummer who seems to have the double bass as his best friend. When things get going, there's plenty of drumming going on.
Strangely enough, the album's speed – with a few exceptions – remains in the mediocre range. More emphasis is placed here on pushing certain moments during the song with great effort. It crashes and bangs regularly, and "Basanos" refrain from letting the song devolve into a much too fast rollercoaster ride, as I have often experienced from genre representatives of this direction. In my opinion, this brings the guys closer to hardcore. Sounds good!
Particular attention should be paid to "Feed Us," "Now," or "Break The Oath," which really clean up the mind with good vocals and great soundscapes.
But just like with drunken bikers, you also find a few small – and not unknown – flaws in "angry" albums that can slightly spoil the enjoyment. On one hand, you find unappetizing beard hairs in your beer, and on the other hand, the familiar feeling greets you that one or another song sounds quite similar. And that weighs heavily in this case. Because the slave torturers present only 11 tracks, where too strong similarities among the songs can lead to a disaster. While the songs may all have a decent length (ranging from three to five minutes), the small number could result in a high degree of recognizability that could backfire on the musicians. Fortunately, this flaw is offset by the fact that this effect only occurs sporadically, as each song has its own recognizability. This applies at least to those who are somewhat familiar with metal music and can write "metal" with at least three mistakes allowed.
"Cracking The Sledge" may not be a musical revelation, but it's more than enough to awaken the thirst for blood during pogo. The hardness and intensity of the silver disc might upset the general population, but the "abnormal rest" will surely have a blast cranking up the speakers. Great record!
