THRONE OF CHAOS
If there has been one album thus far this year that has really thrown me for a loop, this is it. Finland's former CHILDREN OF BODOM clones THRONE OF CHAOS have come roaring back from there debut Menace And Prayer, a certified carbon copy of their fellow countrymen, and released an album that is sure to either piss off die-hard fans of that seminal release or have those like me who are rejoicing in the refreshment that Pervertigo offers. I don't think anyone could have imagined the sudden change of heart this band was going to have.In short, Pervertigo is an entirely new concept and a whole new direction for THRONE OF CHAOS. One in fact, that will open whole new doors to success for the group. Forget Menace And Prayer, Pervertigo blows open the gates to a far more expansive and wholly original sound and perspective. Now, I did in fact like the debut album, cloned from the seeds of BODOM or not. However, Pervertigo is so new and modern, I can't help but love it for that alone. What's new, you ponder?
Pervertigo has an all together tighter, more cohesive, more professional and mature spin and one that oozes with class. Forged out of strong Power Metal influences with a touch of Progressive Metal layered through and through, even the vocal approach on the debut has been entirely discarded. The band utilized the vocal talents of two session throats, leaving the musicians themselves to concentrate on writing and playing. Clean, soaring vocals abound on almost all tracks while the grating variety act as second fiddle for the bulk of the album. Its about a 70/30 trade off and I thoroughly enjoyed both. Its important to recognize that this album was probably more suited to the cleaner vocals given its polished production and stronger emphasis on Progressive and Power Metal vibes. The balance of instrumentation is about as perfect as one could have hoped for as keyboards, guitars, bass and drums seem to blend together in the most seamless manner. The real defining facet of Pervertigo, however, is in the raw songwriting.
I haven't checked the Finnish charts as of late but I have to surmise that THRONE OF CHAOS have landed a top notch spot with tracks like "Truth and Tragedy" (you will never stop playing this track!). Sure, its far more accessible than anything on Menace And Prayer but the bottom line is that it's catch-laden, energetic, just plain terrific Metal. This is probably my favorite song of the year so far, and likely to end up so when its all over. The band's melodic tendencies have not wavered either. Moreover, though they've backed away (actually abandoned) the CHILDREN OF BODOM influences, save for one track that sounds like it might be a leftover from the prior release, Pervertigo takes melody and molds it into more probing depths. This is all done without sacrificing heaviness and while this time out the band are playing to a broader audience, I don't think admirers of Menace And Prayer will mind too much that they're trying new things. The only exception might be the ballad near the album's end that even had me trying to get into. Eventually I did but this album stands on its own with the first 6 or 7 songs alone.
Pervertigo is surely going to end up on my top ten at year's close. I praise the band for pulling a 180 degree on us all. Personally I hope they stick with this direction because they seem to have mastered it beautifully.
Matt's rating: 9.5
John's rating: 6
