More tea, vicar? No thanks, I prefer to listen to mid-tempo death metal in the vein of Bolt Thrower, Asphyx or Hail of Bullets thanks. Well, that’s what the PR sheet from FDA records promises me, and if the album lives up to that promise, then they’ll have a happy little reviewer on their hands, because I do like me some stomping death metal.
A German band, the crew in Scalpture (who win pun-based band name of the month award) have been troubling the metal-fearing public since 2009. I’m going to be frank – when I first started the album, I really wasn’t feeling it. So sure, opener “To End All Wars” had a reasonable enough stomp to it, but the production was a little – eh – thin: but then, dear reader, the bass and breakdown at the end of the song happened and oh my god. I have got to praise bass player Niklas, because his sound and his performance on this record really makes them stand out. For the most part this is pretty well done inoffensive death metal – but when they take their foot off the pedal and slow down? Man, this band then have something massively special.
This also happens mid-section on “Ils n’ont pas passe”, where the fury of the axe-work dies down and it’s just minimalist (but nifty) drum work and that twanging bass. Such a great listen in that moment. Whenever and wherever Scalpture give the rhythm section time to breathe and be heard amid the clatter, magic happens. That’s not to say that there isn’t great stuff happening elsewhere – the vocals are energetic and martial bellows, and again there is some variety between fast and scything guitar work and some tasteful moments of clean guitar and introspection.
Actually, it’s really not entirely fair to compare Scalpture to the bands in the PR blurb, because although they do have some huge raging moments (a huge crowd pleaser in the outro to “Challenging an Empire”, for instance – a head-banger if ever I heard one), they’re at their most interesting and engaging when they move into more progressive and thoughtful sections. They opt to take the path less trodden often in their songs, and that is where their identity really shines out.
As it is, while this is a fine album, I think it’s the blueprint for what could be an exceptional next album. There are some really special moments on this one, but not quite as consistently as it could be. Next time? The world could be their oyster.
(7/10 Chris Davison)
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