The Organization: The Organization

Death Angel - Mark Osegueda = The Organization. Well, sort of. When Death Angel split, the remaining members regrouped as The Organization, but would also change their sound. "The Organization" is not the thrashy bliss of "The Ultra-Violence" or "Act III". Instead, this is their own brand of straight forward heavy metal, albeit with hints of alternative and some experimental aspects as well. The music, although not as rip-roaring and hammering as they were as Death Angel is still performed very well. They are accomplished musicians after all. The riffs are entertaining enough and the vocals are delivered in a crisp, clean manner. There are even portions of orchestral instrumentation spliced thought the album as well, adding a hint of a avant garde to the mix. The sound however, is much more mainstream driven, which I have no problem with, but the music overall just feels too simple, almost as if they played it safe. Maybe they were trying to hit it big with grunge and alternative metal booming at the time, but either way, as a result the song writing seems to suffer a bit and the final product leaves you felling only half satisfied. Is this a bad album? No, but it's not one I find myself reaching for as a whole. There are a few highlights which is about all I can take away from this release.

Highlights: "Free Burning" "Policy" "Lift" "Bringer"

Rating: 2.5