Brutal death metal from France, Balance of Terror play a
very technical in nature (but not technical in name) brand of brutal death
metal. "World Laboratory" lives up to the brutal tag, as it is filled
with energy and power. There are plenty of elements of the classic old school
death metal to be heard, but they are played over a backdrop grindcore that
gives the album a more frantic feel to its overall atmosphere.
The drumming here is a very technical, tight sounding
display of percussion. From start to finish they pounding at your skull with
machine gun blasts and crashing violence. The guitars, although not as
technical as the drumming (which is why I wouldn’t call this technical death)
play a very down-tuned, crunching style that carries the OSDM chugging mantra
through most song. That being said the guitars offer more than just a groovy
chug fest. There are some interesting riffs to be heard and a number of rhythms
that help attract the listener’s attention. Their sound reminds me more of a
deathcore band, but forgo the breakdowns. The bass, although is present, tends
to simply play alongside the guitars for most part, but is most noticeable
during the transition from the lead riffs to the chugging groovier sections of
a song.
As for the vocals, I would have to say, they steal the show.
Sure the blistering drums will always be front and center on the sound stage,
but, Florent Pruvost has the voice of a demon. His lows are deep, and brooding,
while his very lows are the definition of guttural and his growls are barbaric.
The manner in which, he is able to switch his vocals is reminiscent of
Christian Älvestam or even Glen Benton.
The production on “World Laboratory” is rather impressive
for a brutal death act. I can hear all the instruments clearly, one never steal
the limelight from the other. My only complaint is that the final three songs
began to lose a little luster compared to the first four (minus the intro).
It’s not that they are bland, but rather tend to sound a little “samey” if you
get my drift, but I won't be taking any points off musically, as the brutality
the create carries throughout the entire album. The was certainly a nice
surprise, given I knew nothing about the band or album before listening. Fans
of brutal death will enjoy this for sure, but fans of any style of mind
splitting will want to give this a listen as well.
Highlights: "Gap" "Erase"
"Intelligence Failure"
Rating: 3.5
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