IMPLODE - The Hour Has Come (CD)

Sweden seems to be a highly fertilized breeding ground for new melodic death metal bands. There seems to be a new name popping up every week. Even though there’s a high risk of all of them melting together in one big pot if you don’t keep close track of them as they appear, a lot of them still have enough personality to shine on their own. I shall however point out that the bands that have already made a name for themselves such as Sonic Syndicate, Scar Symmetry, Soilwork and of course veterans like In Flames, Dark Tranquillity etc. have a much easier task. Fairly new label Supernova seems to be picking up several of these new acts. I have previously reviewed and written about Descend, Sarea and Hate Ammo. One of the newcomers of this label is Implode, voted best unsigned band in magazine Close-Up, before being picked up by Supernova. I agree, Implode is a highly competend, great sounding, tight, well-oiled thrashing death metal machine. The songs are really good and the performance top notch. However, I lack a bit of personality. They have all the right elements featuring angry vocals, (with some clean mixed in), great guitar solos, a really fat and thick wall of sound production, a drummer that knows how to work his feet. But, still, there are a lot of these type of bands out there with the same qualities, the same sound and songs in the same vein. There’s only a few songs that sticks out a bit for me, one being A War Within, which starts out with some cool dissonant clean riffing, moves into an almost doomy territory before the mayhem is released. I also like the kinda off-beat riffing in Black Crown and the Pantera-style riffing in album closer My Scornful Wrath is another highlight of the album. So, great sound, great band, but lacking in personality, at least for me.
Janne Stark
Label: Supernova
Year: 2011
Link: http://www.supernovarecords.com/artists.php?show=32