After their debut ‘Upon Promethean Shores’ (1995), which I found reasonable at the time but not very special, I never heard any of the other releases by this English band. When I listened to ‘Redimus’, I realised that I had not missed much in all those years because this latest output is anything but a pioneering work of genius.
The ominous-sounding intro initially puts you in the right mood while you eagerly await the opening track. When it starts, however, this ‘right mood’ instantly shifts into an acute state of depression. The drums are far too dominant, pushing the guitars too far into the background. But okay, production isn’t everything, so let’s move on to the music.
Uninspired is the best I can make of it: lame, boring riffs guided by extremely annoying keyboards. If comparisons must be made, the music probably resembles Cradle Of Filth or Liar Of Golgotha a little, especially due to the similar guitar-to-keyboard style that these Britons employ. Unfortunately, the music is simply not interesting or exciting enough. The only things you hear are simple, fairly heavy, and down-tuned riffs, while ingeniousness and creativity are wholly absent. If you add to this a substandard drummer who obviously cannot cope with the faster parts on this album, you get a mediocre record.
Even with the variation they offer, ranging from atmospheric keyboard or acoustic guitar interludes to mid-tempo and almost fast sections, the ‘real’ Metal parts ruin it all due to the aforementioned lack of creativity. The best thing about this album is the two types of vocals, which vaguely remind me of Enthroned’s Sabathan at times. The lower grunt is alright as well, but it is mostly the shifting between the two that adds something positive.
A release like this, even though it is similar to Cradle Of Filth, will not bring them the status that those other Brits enjoy, and evil-sounding titles like ‘Choose Misanthropy’ or ‘Headhunter’ will probably not do the trick either. A little more focus on guitar riffs, and actual creativity, will.
